


Part III: Salvation

by ButterflyBunny



Series: Before The Solstice [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Advanced Technology, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Animals, Artificial Intelligence, Awesome Jane Foster, Books, Breakfast, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bunkers, Christmas, Comfort, Confessions, Conspiracy, Conversations, Cryogenics, Difficult Decisions, Driving, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fictional Religion & Theology, Final Installment, Five Stages of Grief, Flashbacks, Friends to Lovers, Government Conspiracy, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Healing, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, Internal Conflict, It's like Mad Max meets Waterworld, Jane Foster Needs a Hug, Kidnapping, Late Night Conversations, Love, Minor Injuries, Near Death Experiences, Nick Fury Knows All, No robots, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plans For The Future, Post apocalyptic future, Post-Apocalypse, Promises, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Jane Foster, Protectiveness, Rebellion, Religious Fanaticism, Reunions, Road Trips, Romance, Secret Organizations, Secrets, Sleeping Together, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Survivor Guilt, Swimming, Talking, Technology, Timelines, Travel, Traveling, Trust, World War IV, Worldbuilding, nomads, waterfalls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-06-18 18:24:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15491931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButterflyBunny/pseuds/ButterflyBunny
Summary: The New World as they know it is about to change. While Hydra remained hidden for decades, rapidly growing and silently spreading, now they are ready to rise to power and put their grand plan in motion.Bucky Barnes and Jane Foster know they can be stopped. As Jane clings to what she has left of hope, Bucky isn't sure if he will save the world or not, all he knows is that he has to safe Jane from it.





	1. Moab

_New York. December 23, 2085._

_4:32 p. m._

He takes another swing of his drink hearing the familiar sound of her heels approach at a quick pace, as he reaches to loosen his tie and the alcohol burns his throat but doesn't replace the taste of bile in the back of his tongue. He had been drinking since early that morning, for the first time in eight years.

The room remained quiet, but outside it was a different story. When the doors finally open, the woman stands in the middle of his office for a few seconds in silence. He waits for her to say something, to yell at him and scold him. to curse him for damning the world, but it never comes and the silence stretches between them until it becomes unbearable. 

"Howard"

The sound of his own name shatters the silence like glass. He shuts his eyes tightly, he shouldn’t have call her.

"Howard, no one can find him" Peggy is breathing heavy, like she just ran a marathon, “Where is- Talk to me”

Howard knows who she is referring to. But he isn’t sure if he should really tell her everything, he isn’t sure why he called her. What if she’s one of  _them_? 

A loud crash outside makes her flinch but he doesn’t move a muscle. The house has a protection system that will activate if someone unauthorised tries to enter, he isn’t even sure if it still works but he doesn’t care anymore. His home had been swarmed by the press since that morning, and an angry crowd of protestors followed soon after. They surrounded the property throwing things at the window demanding him to show his face, and as the bottle became more empty he realised that it didn’t really matter if he did.

Her steps are cautious as she walks towards him. Peggy stands infront of him then, and he finally tears his gaze from the half empty glass in his hands to look at her. 

“They are coming for me” He says.

The police, FBI, CIA, whoever the fuck was in charge now. Peggy purses her lips and walks towards him to take the glass from his hands, leaving it aside. He notices she takes her time to reach for a coaster to put under the glass, like she’s stalling. He would like to be able to do so too because what he must tell her, what he needs to ask from her it’s not easy. 

"I know you didn't do it" 

For someone who is said to not have a heart, he sure feels something heavy inside his chest start pounding violently at the woman’s words. Peggy never judged him, as awful as he knew he could get – and probably was – she never held anything against him, it was one of the reasons they had remained good friends. Peggy Carter was his only real friend. 

She leans against the desk, "You have flaws, you’re too proud, cocky-"

He chuckles sadly and looks away, "So you came here to insult me?"

"-But you would never do something like this"

"Sell out?"

"Sell the world, Howard" Peggy reaches for her pocket and takes out a folded picture.

The same picture that appeared that morning in every news paper, television screen, website: Howard Stark meeting with two mysterious men from overseas. When he sold secrets from his nation and… That one thing that he knew was going to be the end of the world as they know it.

"This was supposedly taken on December 19" 

He swallows tightly. 

"You and I were visiting Maria’s grave”

When he takes the picture he realises his hands are shaking, whether it was the alcohol in his veins or something else he didn’t stop to consider. Peggy knew the picture was fake, she knew he hadn’t done it. 

“They took it” Howard looks at her, “And framed me, Peg"

The woman looks at him with a look on her face, between confused and worried, she had been the only person who had ever looked at him with genuine concern apart from Maria. Her hand comes up to his shoulder, and she squeezes softly trying to comfort him despite being obvious that it’s not going to do anything. He reaches for her hand anyways and squeezes back softly. Her hand is warm, his fingers are cold.

"What did they take, Howard?” She asks softly, “Who did?"

"I don't know" 

Peggy’s eyes scan his face, “Why?”

“ _I don’t know_ ”

The man brushes her hand off and stands from the chair walking pass her. He feels a heaviness settle in his bones, he’s too tired, too old, and the hangover is starting to settle in. Or he might be having withdrawals, he isn't sure if that's why his hands shake so fucking much as he runs them through his face and hair.  _Fear_. His mind supplies and he forces the voice to the back of his head. 

Someone had stolen his invention. Project M.O.A.B., Mother Of All Bombs. They had stole it, sold it across the ocean and framed him for it. He had been hacked weeks ago, unnoticeable until he scanned throughly and deeply, impossible to trace even when he tried, everything from his bank accounts, personal files, phones and computers. They didn’t take any money, spread any information, threaten him with anything. It was as if they already knew about the bomb, and it was all they needed and wanted.

All Peggy hears is the word bomb. Nuclear, atomic, knowing Howard it could be both. 

He doesn't even realise he is telling Peggy about it, pacing around the room like a caged animal while she follows him with her eyes, looking at him with pity like he was a mad man. It’s humiliating. Howard leans against the carved wooden table in the middle of his office.

“I need your help, Peg” He finally says. 

“I’ll do whatever you tell me” Peggy says not missing a beat, “We can clear your name, make this right and-“

The man chuckles bittlerly and she goes silence. He traces the carvings on the table, it was new, he had sent it to be made months ago and it had been delivered barely a week ago. She knew it was a map of some sorts, some project Howard and SHIELD had been working on for years, a look of what the world will look like in the future.

Arcadia, he had called it once, five colonies working together to built a better world after the devastation that the war had left. Peggy stares at the carved map. 

"I had this... Image of how the future would be once the war ended" 

Peggy swallows tightly. She had come to his office for them to find a way to make things right, to make the truth go out and clean Howard's name, but the man looked like he had accepted his defeat, as if he knew there wouldn’t be a future.

"But SHIELD took that away"

She takes a sharp breath in. 

"What?" 

Howard looks at her. Eyes narrowed as he straightens and walks towards her.

"Your beloved SHIELD" He chuckles bitterly, "It’s not what you think it is"

Peggy looks away then, because she knows that what he is saying it’s true. She had seen SHIELD slowly become something she didn’t recognise, too many hands controlling it from deep inside. 

“ _You knew_ ” Howard looks at her with a harrowing expression, “You knew and didn’t-“

“I wasn’t sure” Peggy shakes her head, “Or maybe I didn’t want to see the truth”

Just like Howard had built Stark Industries, Peggy had built SHIELD. 

“I’m giving a press statement” Howard runs a hand through his face, “Tonight I will announce what project MOAB is about” 

Peggy takes a deep breath in.

“No” She says, “It would be like throwing a rope around your neck, Howard”

He lets out a bitter chuckle. 

The city would be evacuated, the streets will be chaos, there weren’t enough shelters, and people trying to leave the Walls will only make things worse… It’s too much, too little time. There had to be a way to stop the bomb from destroying their country as they know it, the devastation that would follow would leave only ashes.

“There has to be another way” Peggy says, and her throat feels too tight, “You keep talking as if- as if there is nothing we can-“

“I will try” Howard reaches for her hand, “But I need you to be safe in case…” 

Howard squeezes her hand, and looks at her with pleading eyes. Her eyes welled with tears then, and she feels her heart jump to her throat, too tight now to speak. Howard didn’t call her so they could make a plan together and stop the bomb from falling, he had no interest in clearing his name. He wipes her tear falling from her cheek and moves closer to her, he stays quiet for a few seconds, before he lets her hand go and just stays still next to her. She can’t look at him yet. 

“There’s a place a few hours from here”

Howard’s instructions are clear, he talks in a hushed tone like he was afraid someone else would hear them. He had always been paranoid, she understood why now and didn’t question him as he told her what she had to do. There was a place, an underground bunker, where she would have to wait for him there.

Before she leaves him, he holds her hand and kisses her knuckles. 

Peggy leaves without looking back.

 

* * *

 

_5:12 p. m._

_Follow these coordinates. Don’t look back. Don’t trust anyone._  

Just two days earlier the streets were full of people Christmas shopping, the chaos she now sees as she tries to leave the island is a different one. Police cars being attacked by groups of protestors, crowds demanding the opening of the Big Walls that surrounded Manhattan so they could leave the island, the people knew there was something going on. Once she manages to get out, using her government ID card, she sees people outside the walls wanting to come in.

She isn’t sure if they knew about Project Moab, but by now there have got to be rumours, leaks in the internet. 

As she drives carefully through the sea of people, many start hitting her window and yelling at her. She sees the crowd starts running away, the riot police trying to catch some while other attacked them. Peggy grips the steering wheel and accelerates not wanting to waste time wondering if leaving everything behind will be worth it. 

“Come on, Peggy, Come on”

There is a dread invading her despite the bravado she put on infront of Howard, she almost broke when she found him drinking himself to oblivion. A self-diagnosed high functioning alcoholic, Howard never cared about looking for help and it had been Maria who managed to give him some sense of control, but when she died he simply stop caring. He stop caring about his work even when he continued to have control over Stark Industries, there was no passion when he spoke about his inventions or his legacy. That alone made Peggy almost believe he had been capable of selling out like everyone now think he did. Almost.

 _Don’t trust anyone._  

“SHIELD is not only mine, Howard” 

She reaches for her phone, an untraceable one that she had gotten herself after she began to suspect SHIELD was compromised. Her fingers shake as she dials the only phone number saved and her eyes dart from the road to the screen.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up…”

But it goes to voicemail. 

“ _God dammit_ ” She curses loudly, dialling again and again.

It isn’t until she finally decides to give up that she realises she’s being followed. She catches two black vans a few feet from her, the road she took wasn’t very transited so they didn’t bother in trying to pretend they aren’t after her. Peggy grips the steering wheel and steps on the accelerator. She reaches for the glove compartment and pulls out a gun, then reaching for her phone again to dial the same number.

“Everyone is looking fo-“ 

“No time, just listen” She cuts him off, “I went to Howard and he will try to-“ She takes a sharp breath in, “You were right about SHIELD being rotten from the inside”

The line is quiet, and she knows he is just waiting for instructions. 

“I’m sending co-ordinates for a place, you must be there immediately, you hear me? And don’t- don’t wait for me”

“Boss, I-“

Always so loyal, form the start, he doesn’t question further even when Peggy can hear him take a shaky breath in. Howard was right after all, that she would try even when everything seemed lost. There was no way she could stop the bomb and save the world, but she would avenge it. Or  _he_ would.

“You are all that’s left from SHIELD”

And then one of the cars collides with hers.

 

* * *

 

**_The Chicago Tribune_ **

_December 24, 2085._

_Margaret Carter, founder and ex-director of SHIELD died yesterday evening. Close friends with Howard Stark and his conspirator, she had been found guilty of treason and espionaje, and tried to escape the authorities._

__Page 29._ _

 

* * *

 

“Margaret? Margaret!?” Nick yells into the phone, “Peggy!” 

He curses and throws the phone aside. He was already halfway through his car when he got the call. Margaret had told him she had gone to see Howard and he knew something was bound to happen. Despite wanting to protest, to tell her not to do it because it was a bad idea, she went to his home and he had waited impatiently to hear from her. Something wasn’t right with the situation, just like something wasn’t right with SHIELD and it hadn’t been for a while now. Only Peggy and him seem to know, or care enough to stay alert. When Howard’s face appeared that morning in the newspapers he knew that somehow both things were connected.

The city is at chaos inside the Walls, and outside it isn’t any better. For some reason there was still people trying to get in, despite the Walls being closed for almost three months now. He isn’t sure why Peggy wanted him to go to a place in the middle of nowhere, but he never doubted her before and he wasn’t going to start now. His phone – not the one Peggy got him – starts ringing, and he is sure that is someone from SHIELD, or maybe even Stark Industries, so he ignores it. 

A four hour drive gets Nick Fury to the milled of the desert. By then, the sun is gone and he had run through his fuel, and he curses his luck since the place he is looking for seems to be a few miles away. 

_You are all that’s left from SHIELD._

He punches the steering wheel two, three, four times as the frustration building up inside him hits the limits. He couldn’t let Margaret down, whatever she wanted him to do, wherever she needed him to go, he was so close. 

“It’s only a few miles” 

Nick leaves his gun in the backseat, only taking the GPS to be able to find the coordinates. It’s cold as hell, and he forgot his coat in his apartment when he left in a hurry.

“Where did you bring me, Peggy?” He asks. 

It takes him a second to realise he never asked _why_. 

Why him. Why didn't Peggy call anyone else? Janine Selvig was close friends with her, Jonathan Pierce was the current director of SHIELD... But Margaret called him instead. She trusted him instead.

The man’s legs are failing on him what feels hours later, and his lungs are burning when he finally reaches his destination. But there is nothing on sight for him to confirm it. It isn’t until he sees a strange looking rock that doesn’t really matches the rest of the ones he’s seen. It’s not a rock, he realises as he approaches cautiously. It’s an entrance.

Nick takes a sharp breath in, looking around the cave as he enters, “A bunker”

He made it.

First, he remembers SHIELD had many bunkers available, but he had never seen or heard of this one. The location seemed remote, and he can’t see any of the signals the others had. Then, a pang blooms in the pit of Nick’s stomach, because it meant that Howard knew that whatever was about to happen… Was inevitable, and he had only told Peggy about it. He leans against the inside walls of the cave and takes a few deep breaths, before he finally falls to his knees exhausted, fists clutching so tight his knuckles go white.

Nick lets a deep breath out. That’s when he sees a small golden plaque underneath him, covered by a thin layer of dust. He wipes the dust off it and finds a few letters carved into it.

“Ma… Maraud” 

The earth shakes underneath him, and it takes him a few seconds to realise he’s standing in some sort of platform that starts to descend slowly.

* * *

 

**_New York Times Online_ **

_December 23, 2085._

_BREAKING. Howard Stark dead. Stark Industries founder Howard Stark was shot during a press conference in which he addressed the rumours of his participation in a meeting with officials from Europe. He was taken to the New York hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:43 p.m._

_Page 1._  

 

* * *

 

_Nicholas Fury._

_Searching…_

_Searching…_

_Searching…_

_No date of death recorded._


	2. Stuck In Reverse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from "[Fix You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4V3Mo61fJM)" by Coldplay.

There is a humming in her ear. Jane isn’t sure if that wakes her up.

She can feel the floor vibrate under her feet as she starts to wake up slowly, but she doesn’t start moving until the car hits a bump and the numbness in her fingers and toes start to fade, replaced by something like an itch under her skin. When she tries to talk her tongue stills feels heavy inside her mouth but as she becomes more aware of her surroundings her memories start rushing to her brain.

Jane struggles to open her eyes feeling her eyelids still heavy and she isn't sure if she drifts off again when she shuts them tightly, but when she finally opens her them all numbness is gone. _The house, the explosion_. A soft song plays lowly but it's like miles away and she can't figure if she knows it or not, then the smell of antiseptic fills her nostrils. _Loki, Hydra_. One side of her face is throbbing, when she takes her hand there, a carefully taped bandage is covering her cheek. She tries swallowing the strange taste on the back of her mouth as she takes her hand to the sore of her neck.  _Bucky._

 _Darcy is dead_. 

"Stop..." Jane moves into a sitting position too fast and the world starts spinning, "stop the car"

The car comes to a stop almost immediately. She puts both hands on the dashboard when she’s pushed forward, but realises she's wearing a seatbelt. The music is gone. She takes her hand to her neck, where Bucky had injected her with... He is looking at her with a furrowed eyebrow when she turns to him, and when he opens his mouth and reaches for her, Jane shoves him.

"You drugged me" Her voice sounds strange to her own ears, and Bucky's looks away.

So she hits his shoulder as hard as she can. Once, twice, three times.

“Stop it” Bucky finally says, voice hard, “Stop-“ 

"I left her!”

Bucky takes a sharp breath in.

"I left Darcy there and-" Her voice breaks and she covers her face.

 _Poor Jane_. Loki says. _Your home gone, daddy’s gone, you saviour is gone…_

"Jane"

Her hands are shaking when she reaches for the door handle and she doesn't look back when Bucky calls her name again, slamming the doors closed instead. Jane doesn't know where they are, all she can see is mountains and green around her, and the sun is already setting when she hadn’t even seen it rise. She hears the car's doors being open, and when she turns Bucky is standing next to the car, like he’s trying to decide whether or not to follow her. She runs a hand through her hair and before she can think, she’s walking away from him. 

“ _Jane_ ”

Jane shakes her head, "Stay- stay away, just-“ 

She needs to be away from him. Everyone around her dies. Everything disappears, burns down.

Bucky is a few feet away from her, “Where are- Just stop-” 

“Leave me” 

Everyone does. 

"Jane, stop" He says sharply, "Jane!"

When Bucky gives three strides towards her, she gives a step back, lifting her hands to make him stop and prevent him from touching her. Jane's eyes are stinging with tears and her cheeks are wet. He circles her wrist when she tries to shove him again. 

"Let me go“ A sob rips from her throat, “If you want to leave- Just-” She chokes up. 

But he is not moving. And he’s towering over her, and he is looking at her with a certain sorrow in his blue eyes. When her knees give up on her he is there to catch her. She struggles weakly to break away, but he's whispering to her hair. Calm down, I'm sorry, Jane. 

Jane, Jane, Jane. Her name sounds like a prayer in his lips. 

“I left her there”

“We... We had to, Jane”

Jane fists his shirt, as she sobs against his chest, tears streaming down like a torrent she can't control. And his arms come around her waist as he pulls her impossibly closer to him, holding her just tightly enough to let her know that he won't let go unless she really, _really_ wants him to. The gravel digs into her knees as she finally makes it to the ground taking Bucky with her, but he doesn't protest, and she doesn't let go. Don't let me go.

Bucky shakes his head, "I won't"

"Don't let me go" She says again. 

The air is cold once the sun starts hiding away but under her knees she can feel the earth still maintains some of its warmth. The only sound around them is the wind moving the trees and the birds starting to disappear. There is no sea, no smell of sand or the faint taste of salt on her lips. Only the familiar smell of Bucky's shirt and the taste of her tears that had stopped streaming down her face. She inhales deeply as she circles his waist and rubs his broad back, finding comfort in his warmth. Sorrow is the sea and he's the rock that will keep her from drowning. 

"I'm sorry, Jane" 

Bucky's voice is quiet, and she shuts her eyes tightly because of the way his voice breaks. He sounds remorseful, ashamed. Her bottom lip trembles as Bucky hooks a finger under her chin to make her look at him.

“Everyone is gone” She sniffs, tears clinging to her eyelashes. 

Bucky shakes his head before pressing their foreheads together. He breaths in and out, and Jane tries to match her heavy breathing with his, until she’s not gasping for air but breathing calmly. 

“You still have me, Jane, you understand? You have me" 

Jane pulls him in again, hugging him tightly. She remembers thinking that it was going to be her alone at first, then she thought she would end up with Darcy, and now… He’s there. He’s not going away, she won’t let that happen and not only because then she would be alone but because she loves him.

“What happened to her?" She asks quietly.

It takes the man a few seconds to answer. Darcy didn't suffer, Darcy knew they would have to leave her, Darcy wanted them to leave safe. She made a promise and she kept it.

"Darcy made a decision, Jane” 

He pulls back and reaches for his pocket. Both stare at the pendant in his palm, and it takes Jane a few seconds to recognise it’s hers. Bucky tells her that Darcy had joined a fight against Hydra, and she had made a choice once she had been shot that this was worth sacrificing for. The way he said it, she looks at him, it sounded like Darcy didn’t want revenge but justice.

"She was getting this out" he adds more quietly, "Ash Valley is that way” he points left, “Maraud is on the other side” Bucky licks his lips, “that other way..." 

"Roseburn" Jane looks at him, taking a shaky breath in.

"Someone was waiting for Darcy there, for this too, but they won’t wait for long” He takes a breath in, “This will finish what she started” 

Silence falls upon them. 

"Are you coming with me?" Jane asks.

“Of course, Jane” Bucky answers, “I’m not leaving you”

Jane’s brown eyes red rimmed with tears, eyelashes still wet. 

“If something happens to you, something I can’t fix” He licks his lips, “Of all the bad things I’ve done, that would be the only thing I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for”

Jane lets him hold her, the realisation of his own guilt for what had happened feeling like another weight to add to the heaviness in her chest. She hides her face in the crook of his neck, gripping his shirt tightly. What if Jane had only brought Bucky worry or maybe he regretted... All of it? She curses herself for not being able to ask for forgiveness until she knew which one was it. 

In that moment, as he helps her to his feet and tells her they have a long way ahead, It’s the not knowing what scares her the most. 

 

* * *

 

 

Bucky focuses his eyes on the road. When he had said the names to the screen like Darcy said a red dot had appeared on the screen, but it seemed to be on the edge of the world. He drove and drove and the goddamn red light was always out of their reach. And he was _so tired_.

Next to him Jane remains quiet, the only sound is the music playing lowly on the radio. That is until Jane reaches for the panel that controls the car's features and turns it off. The sun had hidden away hours ago and they had just crossed the limits of the colony minutes ago – almost an hour, actually, he realises as he glances at the clock for the third time. He had thought Jane would want to sleep or at least try to since she looked tired, but she had been looking through the journal Darcy had left in the glove compartment, and occasionally she looked outside the window like she was making sure they were going the right way.

Jane's hand on his shoulder makes him jump slightly, and he grips the steering wheel and apologises when she moves it away. 

"Bucky" 

"Hm?" He blinks focusing on the road. 

"Stop the car"

Bucky glances at Jane with a frown on his face.

"We should stop for the night" Jane says quietly, "You look exhausted"

He slows down the car until it comes to a full stop. Jane opens the glove compartment and leaves the phone inside, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hands.

Bucky runs a hand through his face and hair, wincing slightly when he feels his palms are sore. He remembers falling and the gravel digging into his skin, and grabbing the hot barrel of the gun. The bandages smell like antiseptic but weren't tight enough, they itched. He tries to ignore it and shuts his eyes tightly leaning back on the seat, rubbing his palms on his jeans as if trying to wipe off the itch. 

 _Say something_. Jane thinks as she turns to Bucky. He looks so much more tired than she probably does, and she had seen the marking in his palms as he finally let go of the steering wheel. She reaches for him, moving a strand of his hair off his face. He turns to her, head resting in the seat like it's to heavy for him to hold up, and offers a soft smile that barely reaches his tired eyes, but it's comforting enough.

"Do you wanna lay down on the backseat?" 

A frown crosses his features.

"You need to rest, Bucky" She bites her bottom lip, "You've been driving for hours" 

He nods, glancing at the backseat. Jane offers him a smile and he opens his door. When he is outside, Jane follows him with her eyes, sees as he stretches his legs and rubs his shoulder with a grimace in his face. She hadn't realise his hand was bandaged until then, and she feels a stab of guilt because she hadn't thought about asking if he had been hurt. 

Bucky opens the trunk and reaches for something inside. When he closes it again, he has a white shirt in his hands and Jane wonders if it will fit. She stares at the bruises on his side and takes a deep breath in, and when Bucky catches her staring she looks away, pretending she is examining the cut on her cheek on the rearview mirror. Bucky had done a good job at cleaning the cut, unlike he had with his hand.

The man opens the door and slides on the backseat, unlacing his boots. He accommodates on the seat then, back against the door as he stretches as much as he can on the seat and closes his eyes. Jane moves her seat back and lays down, staring at the roof.

"Thanks for bandaging me up" 

Bucky smiles, and her lips quirk upwards it before she glances at his hands.

"Can I..."

He opens his eyes and turns his head to Jane. She licks her lips and considers it for a few seconds before she opens the door.

Bucky doesn't move, his eyes follow Jane as she opens the passengers door and enters the car again. He moves his feet to allow her to sit on the apposite side to him, and once she does she reaches under the seat.

"You didn't do a good job with yours"

He looks at his hand, “I… Really didn’t”

Bucky stares at her as she unwraps his hand, opening the emergency kit to looks for supplies. The car remains quiet except for the sound of the engine, and he is too afraid of saying anything. She cleans his wound, and he is thankful she doesn’t ask where did the burn came from – maybe she knows anyways – before she starts wrapping his hand properly this time. 

"Stars"

He frowns.

"You said..." She glances at him, and the focuses back on her task, "Sirius, Talitah... Algol and Rigel" Bucky hums lowly, "Those are stars"

Jane looks at him, she wants him to keep talking.

"It was the code to get the co-ordinates to…” He trails off, because he isn't sure where are they going or who is waiting for them.

Jane closes the kit and places it back under the seat before she sits back, and goes quiet again. Bucky stares at her, taking in every emotion that crosses her features as she seemingly finishes processing all that has happened in the past day. Anger, powerlessness, disbelief, sadness. Jane hadn’t even had time to mourn her father, and now she mourns her sister. Determination washes upon her face. She will finish what Darcy started. 

“This people… Hydra” Jane says finally, “My father was one of them” 

Bucky swallows tightly and hums.

“Does that make him bad?”

When Bucky doesn’t answer, Jane wishes she could take the question back. She was never going to be able to hate her father, even when she knew that the disgrace that fell upon their home, the reason why she went through all of this, and the reason why… Darcy was dead, had been because of what he did. What he let Hydra do. 

“He tried to stop them” Jane adds quietly, and she isn’t sure if she is trying to convince herself or Bucky. 

But for Bucky, Erik Selvig's last actions were all that mattered. He discovered the truth wasn’t what he had been told, that the shinny thing that they waved infront of his face wasn't gold, and he tried to stop them. Erik Selvig dying not being able to know if they won or not, or if his daughter was safe from the consequences of it, was punishment enough.

“Some people” Bucky finally says, barely above a whisper, “Aren’t bad or good… Sometimes they are both, they do good things and bad things” 

He waits one beat.

Two. 

“I’m scared, Bucky” Jane says quietly after a few seconds, “I don’t want to fail” she looks at him with pleading eyes, “I don’t want to fail Darcy” 

Bucky stays quiet for a while, “We’ll make it there, Jane” 

Wherever _there_ is. 

He reaches for her cheek, stroking it with his thumb softly, and she looks at him contemplative before he hooks a finger under her chin and offers her a comforting smile. Jane returns it, looking thankful. Jane yawns tiredly then, and glances at the passengers seat before she looks back at him. 

“The necklace you have in your pocket” Jane starts saying as she unlaces her boots, “It’s made of a fallen star”

Bucky frowns slightly as she taps his knee softly, and he understands she wants him to move his leg. He does and she accommodates between his legs. His lips quirk upwards as Jane's back flushes against his chest and lays her head on his shoulder. He isn't sure what to do once she stays still, his hand sort of hovering over her until she reaches for his bandaged hand and opens his palm, rubbing her thumb against it softly.

“My father gave it to me on my birthday” 

Jane intertwines his fingers with hers and presses a kiss into his bruised up knuckles. She doesn't ask why are they like that, or if it hurts and he feels relieved at that for some reason.

“Exactly four years ago today”

Jane waits for him to understand. And when he straightens slightly, she looks at him. It was her birthday today, twenty one years old, and she feels that with everything that has happened the fact matters so little. Almost nothing at all.

“I… had no idea” He says apologetically. 

She smiles softly at him, and leans in to leave a kiss on his check. She doesn’t need him to wish her happy birthday, she doesn’t care if he didn’t even know, all that matters is that he is there and all she wants is for him to hold her. _You have me_.

When Jane goes quiet again, Bucky kisses the top of her head and enjoys the silence.

Jane needed rest, warmth, comfort, and to feel safe once again. She lets him wrap his arms around her, and as if to make sure he wouldn't let her go, she covers his hands with hers. For a moment, when she is finally still, he lets himself have one last selfish thought. Jane should stay there with him forever. 

"I wish we could stay here"

It's like she reads his mind. Jane says it in a whisper as if it's meant to be a secret, but he knows she meant for him to hear her. 

"Me too, Jane" 

“But we can’t”

He shakes his head, “Not yet”

 _When_ It’s left unsaid, but they both wonder. Jane listens to Bucky's heartbeat, maybe for her next birthday she thinks to herself, as his chest moves and down lullabying her into a deep sleep.


	3. Permanent

“Ever heard the expression ‘the grass in greener on the other side’?” 

Bucky, who had been sitting on the driver’s seat examining the recently changed bandaged on his hands, glances at Jane with a small frown on his face.

“I guess that other side is this one”

She has a pair of binoculars in her hands and has been looking at the remoteness ahead of them for the past few seconds, like she had done every time they made a stop. Jane gestures to him and he stands with a soft groan. As he makes his way towards her realises it’s the first time he gets a good look at her, the past two days his eyes have been either glued to the road or closed as he slept while she drove. The woman looks exhausted, a worn out expression and dark circles under her eyes, Bucky knew she hadn’t been able to sleep, she had been having nightmares. Jane hadn’t spoken to him about it though, she is keeping everything bottled up – sadness, anger, fear even – but he doesn't know how to tell her she shouldn't. The right moment or the right words seem to escape him.

 _You idiot_. He curses himself mentally.

Jane puts the binoculars against his chest. He follows her with his eyes as she walks towards the car, opening the trunk before she strips off the cardigan she’s wearing. Bucky looks away, wiping the glass of the binoculars with the hem of his shirt before he looks through the lens. 

They must be in the second ring, he remembers Jane had called it The Green and no wonder why. He isn't concern about getting lost since the red dot they were following looked like it was ahead – still – now he was more worried about the animals that could be lurking around. When he turns to express his concern, Jane is rummaging through the trunk maybe looking for clothes, and he hears her talking to herself. When he walks towards her he realises she's singing lowly, and instead of looking for something she's organising the supplies. Which wasn't necessary but she seemed to be doing it to distract herself. He leaves the binoculars on the top of the hood and leans against car glancing around. They are parked underneath trees to protect them from the sun and the fresh breeze is a nice change from the hot desert they previously travelled through, he can hear the wind move the leaves and birds chirping in the distance. It’s the most peaceful they had gotten in a while, he thinks, and his eyes fall on Jane again wondering if she feels any calm at all. Her feet are bare against the ground, she's wearing cotton shorts and a clean shirt that looks a tad big on her – the car they took was the one he was suppose to take for himself, so the few items of clothing were for men – his lips quirk upwards.

"...Wake up where the clouds are far behind me,  
where trouble melts like lemon drops..." She catches him staring and stops her singing, "What?"

He shrugs, "you have a lovely voice"

Jane narrows her eyes but a hint of a smile pulls from her lips, it’s almost relieving, "Are you making fun of me?"

"Not at all" he rubs his jaw, "What were you singing?"

Bucky had tried to start conversations a few times but Jane kept answering in monosyllables or short sentences. Much like he used to. 

“It’s from a movie” Jane answers, more focused on counting the cans in the trunk. 

He sighs through his nose, “Are you okay, Jane?”

He regrets asking it like that as soon as it comes out. Of course she isn’t okay, her sister died, her father lied, and they had been driving to _nowhere_ for the past three days. Jane looks at him for a few seconds, like she’s trying to figure out what’s in his head, or like she is the one who should be worried for him and not the other war around. 

“I don’t know” Jane looks at her feet, toes digging into the cool earth underneath her toes.

Bucky knows she needs time, but the silence was killing him. Jane looks at him and offers him a hint of a comforting smile. The man looked like he regretted asking her as soon as he did, but she was glad he had asked. She notices him drumming his fingers against his jeans in a nervous gesture, as he looks around.

“How’s your hand?”

Bucky looks at his palm, “Fast healer” he shrugs.

Jane nods, “Right”

She goes back to pretending to be organising the supplies, taking her hand to her cheek self-conciously. Bucky sees her and swallows tightly not being able to decide whether or not he should say something about it. That it looks better or that it’s not really noticeable at all, both would be a lie. Either way, the scar that would be left wouldn’t damage the ethereal beauty Jane possessed. He would never think she’s damaged in any way, after all he loved her. Bucky remains quiet, not sure if it is something she should hear yet. He exhales exhaling loudly.

“You hungry?”

He turns to her, “We just ate”

“So you are hungry” She states, teasing tone in her words.

A smile pull from his lips. Jane finally closes the trunk and walks towards him, leaning against the car too. She looks at the man with the corner of her eye, while he runs a hand through his now longer hair before he rubs the stubble covered jaw. When Bucky catches her gaze, Jane looks away.

“It’s quiet here” She whispers.

He hums.

“And nice” Jane adds, “Peaceful" 

Bucky looks at her, “It is” 

Jane bites her bottom lip as she feels him stare. Bucky has been trying to make her tell him… something, but the words get stuck in her throat to a point where she can barely breath let alone speak. She isn’t sure if she’s angry or sad, everything is eating her up and she just can’t let it out. She jumps slightly when she feels Bucky’s hand brush hers, and when Jane looks at him he is still staring in the distance. 

“Bucky-”

“Do you hear that?” He looks at her and then behind them.

Jane lets out a shaky breath and shakes her head. Bucky leaves her space then, and walks around the car. For a second she thinks he’s going to look for the gun in the glove compartment, but instead he continues walking towards the bushes a few feet from them. 

“Where are you-“ He hushes her, “Bucky, come back” she says, but he ignores her.

Jane looks around before she decides to follow him. Her steps are almost inaudible, just when she steps on a few dry leaves is that he realises she’s right behind him, and when he turns they bump into eachother, Jane gives a step back and he grabs her by the waist thinking she was about to fall. 

“I’m fine” Jane says, moving his hands away. 

“Sorry” He licks his lips, “Just… Be quiet” 

“I was being quiet” She says in a hushed tone, “What is it?”

Bucky gestures her to follow him and she looks at where he steps, when he kneels behind the bushes Jane mimics his action and moves closer to him. He leans in and she throws a glance at him before she does too. 

It’s eating something from the bushes further from them, unaware that its being observed by the two of them. 

“It’s a deer” Bucky says. 

Jane shakes her head softly, “It’s a doe” 

He hums, “Right, deers have horns” 

“Antlers” she corrects again, when Bucky looks at her she says quietly, “Sorry”

Bucky’s his lips quirk into a small smile. Jane looks relieved, like she thought Bucky would find it annoying when he really doesn’t mind. When Jane tries to move closer to the doe but a branch under her feet makes a crunching noise that starlets the animal. The doe rises its head, ears perking up before it prances away. Jane stands and gives a few steps considering following it but the animal is too fast and disappears from her view in a matter of seconds. 

She sighs heavily, “Do you think there are any-“

“Jane” 

She turns to Bucky and then to the direction he’s pointing at. Jane hadn’t even realised that the sound she was hearing wasn’t just the wind moving the trees. Bucky sees as her face lights up, and smiles softly before he reaches for her stopping himself before he does for some reason, before turning back to the waterfall infront of them. The crystal water gushed over the rocks before it pooled at the bottom, cascading down a series of rocky outcrops giving the effect of many waterfalls rather than just one surging down the mountain infront of them. 

He starts toeing off his boots as he reaches for his belt. Jane looks at him and realise’s he’s getting in, she tilts her head.

“What if there’s- I don’t know- sharks?” She asks, and she finds herself wondering if he’s wearing anything underneath his clothes.

Bucky snorts, “Sharks live in the ocean, Jane”

Bucky cocks an eyebrow when he finds her staring, and reaches for the hem on his shirt to pull from it. Her eyes trail up and down his torso –there are no longer visible bruises and she sighs relieved at that – Bucky’s jeans are riding low on his hips, and Jane is pretty sure he is more muscular than he was before. She hugs herself self-conciously, she was pretty sure she had lost weight and that her ribs were too visible. When he unbuttons his jeans Jane turns around letting out a deep breath. She had seen Bucky naked already, obviously, but she isn’t sure… She sighs looking at the clear skies above them, feeling frustration at the not knowing where they stand. Jane knew Bucky cared for her, he had said that much, but neither had acknowledge what happened that night in Catalean. 

 _I had a itch to scratch and you wanted to know how it felt._ He told her, but then… _I didn’t mean any of it._  

“Are you coming in?”

His voice pulls her out of her thoughts. 

Bucky looks at her in a questioning manner when Jane looks at him with a confused look on her face, she glances at his clothes neatly folded on top of a rock and then at him. He left the white briefs he had changed into before they had breakfast on, and for a second he wonders if Jane thought he would be completely nude. A flash of her naked body under his crosses his mind but he blinks it away. After a few seconds Jane nods, and he sees the light blush on her cheeks that makes the thin scar above her beauty mark turns a shade pinker. He doesn’t wait for her, wanting to give her some privacy as she undressed.

The water is ice cold, which is not bad since the sun is bright and hot above them, and he realises is not as shallow as he thought but the water is clear enough for him to be able to see where he steps. 

Jane leaves her shirt and pants folded next to Bucky’s clothes, and then turns to him. She’s wearing underwear like him, of course, panties and one of those bralettes that were in the small bag with clothes for her. She had figured one of the cars was for her and Darcy while the other for Bucky, they ended up taking the later which meant she was going to have to use whatever Bucky had. Jane walks towards the edge of the pool of water and sinks her toes, feeling how cold it really was. Buck’s head peaks out of the water and he rubs the water off his eyes with the heel of his hand. 

“Is it too deep?” Jane asks, covering her face from the sun with one hand.

Bucky nods. When she doesn’t say anything else, he gathers water in his hands and wets his face running his fingers through his hair before he sinks fully into the water. Jane continues entering the water until it’s up to her waist. She stands there and gathers water in her hands like Bucky had done, and wets the nape of her neck before washing her face carefully. She hums happily at the cool sensation on her skin, eyes watching the water falling a few feet away from her.

When Bucky runs out of air he swims to the surface, taking a deep breath in before he looks around for Jane. 

He chuckles when he finds her on the same spot, “No sharks here”

Jane rolls her eyes, “It’s not that” she then adds something else more quietly.

“What?”

She shakes her head, “Nothing”

Bucky watches as she gets out of the water, sitting on the rocky edge surrounding the plunge pool before she stands up slowly like she’s afraid she will fall, untying her hair and running her fingers through it. The lace material of the underwear she’s wearing looks transparent and he stares shamelessly, swallowing tightly and being thankful for the fact that the water is so cold. 

His eyes follow her as she walks around the plunge pool, stepping carefully as she makes her way towards the waterfall. The rocks are slippery wet under her feet causing her to almost lose her balance.

“Be careful, Jane” 

“Yeah, yeah, it’s- it’s okay” She glances at Bucky and then at her feet, seeing where she is stepping. 

His eyes don’t leave her until she’s standing right next to the waterfall, and the water cascades over her like heavy rain. Jane closes her eyes and enjoys the cold water bathe her completely before she looks at Bucky and offers him a nod. She’s alright. The man sighs relieved, and makes himself take his eyes off her before he sinks into the water again, letting his body descend until he hits rock bottom.

He hears her jump into the water then, but he can’t see her. the air in his lungs run out and he swims to the surface. When he looks around he doesn’t see her at first, but then Jane’s head peak on the surface and he realises she is struggling to keep herself afloat.

“Jane?” He calls her name, “Jane, are you- _fuck_ “

Bucky swims in her direction and reaches for her underwater, pulling her up when he feels her grab his hand. Jane takes a deep gasp of air, before she starts coughing. He swims towards the more shallow side of the pool. 

“I told you it was too deep” He says, “I’m guessing it wasn’t sharks what you were worried about”

“Yeah, no- I-” Jane says between coughs, “I-” 

“You don’t know how to swim"

Jane nods and he pulls her towards him letting her cling onto him for buoyancy. Jane rests her head on his shoulder as she takes a few deep breaths, and Bucky is about to scold her when she lets out a sob instead. Bucky tenses at the choking sound that follows and then she’s… crying, collapsing into him like shattering glass, sharp and frail, crumbling into his chest.

“I’m- I’m sorry” Jane says against his skin, “I’m sorry”

Bucky’s cold hand cups her jaw and makes her look at him. There is a confused look on his face that turns into worry, before Jane’s eyes blur with tears and she shuts them tightly. Jane tries to control her breathing, she tries to think about something else that would make her stop crying – _he must be tired of hearing me cry_ – but she can’t. The water is up to her waist and she can feel the ground now, when Jane pushes herself way from him, Bucky puts a hand on her waist to stop her from leaving.

“Jane,” Bucky says quietly, “You know you can talk to me”

“I just…”

She needs to let it out. Jane lets out a shaky breath when he wraps his arms around her, she is relieved when the tears stream down her face and he doesn’t seem to mind. 

Bucky holds her chin and makes her look at him, “I got you”

His thumb caresses her cheek, and she is reminded of the cut there. Jane didn’t think she would mind a scar until she realise how awful it actually looked when she saw herself in the mirror that morning, it was still red and a bit swollen, and the first thing that crossed her mind was if he would still… Want her the same way he did before.

“Does it hurt?” He asks quietly.

She swallows, moving away from his fingers, “No” she answers a few seconds later, “It’s just… there” and adds more quietly, “permanently” 

Bucky waits a few seconds, “they are just scars you know” he says cautiously, “just scars”

Jane feels a pang on her chest. Bucky has many, even worse looking than hers, and he didn’t seem to mind them until Jane asked him about them a while ago. She even told him that scars were other kind of memory, and Jane isn’t sure if she wants to be reminded of Loki trying to kill her every time she looks in the mirror. She shivers, and Bucky runs one warm hand against her side while the other rests on the lower part of her back. Then Jane remembers seeing Bucky again and Loki disappears, she remembers being relieved and when he held her she knew she was safe once again.

Jane touches him then, lifting her gaze to see how he reacts. She still thinks he looks a lot older than he is, and that the days old stubble makes him look handsome, and that she can’t imagine how he looked without his scars. Jane takes her hand to a large one between his shoulder and collarbone. Whatever had caused that wound had been blunt, and the injury had never been stitched or treated properly. It was so visible, yet she hadn’t notice it before.

“I don’t even remember how I go it”

Bucky feels Jane’s fingertips draw the pattern of the old scar, and when she looks at him he know she is about to apologise so he puts his hand over hers.

“It’s alright, it doesn’t hurt”

Sometimes it ached like a ghostly echo of the knife that cut it so long ago. Jane feels him relax against her, and he looks at her with a warmness that she had seen many times before, and only coming from him. He hooks his fingers under her chin and hesitates before he presses her lips over the scar on her left cheek. Jane closes her eyes losing herself on him, the warmth from his lips lingering over hers, the shape of him against hers, like she’s surrounded all by him instead of water.

“You have me too, Bucky” 

Jane’s breath warm is against his lips and she feels relieved by way his lips lifted upward, the way his blue eyes twinkle, the way his teeth are perfectly aligned. The warm glow his happiness gives. His smile is a ray of sunshine, and Jane was sunburned.

 

* * *

 

Bucky dressed as Jane tried to start a fire to keep them warm, the night was looking to be a chilly one. She had suggested they slept out of the car for the night, not wanting for it to start feeling like a cage when they had apparently just started their journey, Bucky didn’t argue probably because he felt the same way. The sun was setting when he finally joins her, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, the boots on his feet remained untied. 

“How is it going?” 

Jane looks at him, “Clearly, it isn’t”

She sighs heavily, and when he walks towards her and extends his hand to her, Jane gives him the lighter she has in her hands. When she stands, dusting her knees off, Bucky takes her place.

“These are too green”

Bucky kicks the twigs and leaves Jane had chosen away and disappears for a few seconds before coming back with drier looking ones. Jane stares at him, before she sits on a nearby tree trunk and picks up a bottle of water he had left for her on top of the blanket and her satchel. She feels useless, normally when she isn’t able to do something she feels that way, but is also the way Bucky acts as if he’s fully responsible for her now. Bucky told her that Darcy had died for her mission, but Jane felt there had been something else to it that Bucky knew about but wouldn’t tell her. Inside the satchel, where the gun had ended up, there was a small notebook that Jane found alongside the leather journal Darcy left for her. the more Jane read of it, the more she realised that she wasn’t suppose to. 

Darcy had in fact left her in Arcadia. Darcy knew that there were people left in Glassmere, she even had contact with Letitia. Darcy didn’t plan on getting Jane until she got word that she had left Glassmere. Jane didn’t know what to think of it, Darcy had left leaving her wondering so many things. 

A few seconds later the warmth of the fire and the faint lighting reaches her, and she realises that her nails are digging into her palms.

“Big enough to keep any animal away” Bucky says, “And us warm”

If Darcy had lived to tell her what had actually happened, Jane would have been angry. They would have argued and not talk to each other for days until whoever was guilty apologised, then they would hug and everything would be alright. But neither was guilty of what happened to the other, neither was responsible for the other once they were separated, and at the end both got out alive of Arcadia reuniting despite the odds. That should be all that mattered.

“Bucky”

“Hm” He’s toeing his boots off, “What?” he asks when she remains quiet.

“How… how did it happen?” 

Bucky pauses, when he looks at her his eyes examine her face. He knows what she means. How did Darcy die. Jane moves to make space for him next to her, and he stares for a few more seconds before he sits, looking conflicted somehow and Jane is about to tell him that she just needs to know. She doesn’t want someone to blame or to torment herself about it later, though she probably will do the latter anyways.

“We were in the studio getting… that” Bucky points at the necklace around her neck, “An alarm went off and we heard the guards”

He rubs his palms against his jeans in a nervous gesture or maybe it’s just cold – maybe both – and Jane wants to reach for him.

“We made it to the kitchen and- it was dark but a man saw us” His eyes are focused on the fire infront of them, “I reached for his gun when he tried to call the others and…” 

Jane winces, “That’s how you burned your hand”

Bucky nods, he looks at his palm and then at her, “When he was down I- I didn’t even realise- Darcy was bleeding from the side, she was clutching her hand there and there was- there was a lot of blood” he swallows tightly and his hands are fisted so tight his knuckles are white, “I carried her outside but she said that- they would find us if she came” 

“She told you to leave” Jane says quietly, her eyesight blurs and she looks at the fire trying to hold back the tears, “Was she… was she in pain?” 

Bucky lets out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Jane’s voice is soft, he wouldn’t have been able to hear her if she wasn’t so close now, and she’s twisting her fingers on her lap anxiously. He closes his eyes, his fists are shaking and his throat is too tight.

“I should have told her to move” He hears himself say. 

If he had warned Darcy he was going to move maybe… Everything happened so fast, it should be all a blur, but he remembers it all too clearly. Darcy was next to him with her arms raised, the man in black was on his other side and he had the heavy weapon pointed at them. The adrenaline kicked in and he reached for it without thinking it twice. He moves it to the left and Darcy… He didn’t tell her to move. He forgot about her. 

“If I had-“

“Bucky” Jane reaches for him, her hand covering his fist. 

“She didn’t say if it hurt” He tries to wrench himself from her but Jane’s hand opens his palm and she holds his hand tightly, “I didn’t even ask her if- I should have-“ 

“Don’t” Jane’s thumb caresses the skin of the back of his hand, “What happened wasn’t your fault” she adds, and it’s like she’s telling it to herself too, “And we can’t change it either”

“I’m sorry, Jane” Bucky licks his lips, “I… I will do anything in my power for her death not to be in vain, I promise you”

Jane’s eyes look at where their hands are joined, and he squeezes softly.

“We are both going to make sure the world knows that Darcy died for this” She says, “together” 

Bucky nods. Jane rests her head on his shoulder and they stay in silence. The guilt in his chest doesn’t quite go away but the heaviness seems to lighten. Something else is left to be said, and he gathers his thoughts for a few minutes. What happened in Catalean was still fresh in his mind and now seemed like the time to apologise for it too. He thinks of a way to tell her it had been because of Darcy, without making it seem like he was blaming her. He was at fault too, it had been his choice to hide it from Jane. 

“Jane” Bucky licks his lips, she hums, “I stayed awake after…” they fucked, had sex, made love, spent the night together, he isn’t sure what wording he should use, he sighs, “That night in Catalean” Jane leans back and looks at him, “Claire knocked on the door and said that there was someone waiting for me, a friend” 

Jane frowns. 

“I thought it was Steve” He chuckles sadly, realising how stupid it sounds now, “But it was Darcy” 

“Darcy was in Catalean” Jane frowns and he nods, “Why did she ask for you instead of me?” 

There is no way to sugar coat it, and he was tired of lying and hiding.

“She wanted me to let you go” Bucky wipes his hands on his jeans, “And I thought that- that you would be better with her, she could protect you and if something-”

Jane lets go of his hand, “So you just made that decision for me?” 

He runs a hand through his face, “Darcy said that what happened in Glassmere wasn’t over, they would come for you and I wouldn’t be enough to-“ He grits his jaw and looks away from Jane, “It made sense for you to be away from me”

“Why didn’t you tell me” her tone is higher. 

Bucky sighs heavily, “I thought it was for the best” 

“You should have let me know, Bucky” She looks at him, a frown on her face.

“You would have left anyways, Jane“ His voice is louder.

“You didn’t know that”

“You would have left anyw-“

Jane shakes her head, “Why would I leave with her after all that has happened?“

The man looks at her, “She’s your sister, you- and since the beginning it was about you looking for her-” 

“But things changed” 

“- and I promised you I would get you to her“ 

“And I told you I wanted to stay with _you_ ”

When it all goes quiet Jane realises her voice was a little louder than when they started talking, or arguing, she isn’t sure. And Bucky is looking at her, the wrinkle of concern, distress and confusion appearing between his eyebrows. Jane did tell him that night, she had laid it all out for him and he was stupid enough to not see it, and for some reason he had forgotten about it the moment Darcy said she was in danger.

“Nothing would have made me change my mind, Bucky” Jane adds.

Bucky swallows tightly. And Jane looks at his hand before she takes it again, holding it between hers and taking them to her chest. He looks at her, eyes scanning her face before he moves a strand of her hair with his free hand. 

“When I say you have me too, I meant in every way” Jane says quietly, firmly, “Unconditionally, for always”

Bucky leans in to leave a kiss on her forehead, and Jane can feel his heart hammering inside his chest before he lets out a deep breath. 

“I should have told you, Jane, I’m sorry” Bucky says, brows knitted together.

“I… I know why you did it” She says quietly a few seconds later, “But I don’t want you to hide things in order to protect me”

Bucky is taken aback by it at first, when he looks at Jane he realises is not a request. He understands. His first instinct would still be to want to protect her but he knew now that Jane wasn’t as fragile as he and Darcy thought. And that meant also … It meant that she wanted him because she _wanted_ to be with him, not because she needed him.

“Okay?” Jane asks.

He nods, “Okay”

Bucky kept trying to push Jane away, thinking that she would be better without him, but every time they were apart something did happen. Jane wasn’t going to let that happen again. And she would prove to him that there was no one better for her than him. She seals it with a kiss, a chaste touch of their lips, before she pulls back. 

“I want to show you something”

She misses the stunned look on his face, and the way he takes his thumb to his lips as if asking if that had really happened. Reaching for the book Darcy had left her – the Hydra archive, like it was written in the first page – she opens it in her lap. 

“I thought this was written by whoever gave it to Darcy, but there are several entries that have dates…” She starts flipping through the pages, “Look at this”

It’s an old newspaper cutout, the picture was fading but he could make out a woman’s face from the picture, and next to it a text that was too hard to read, something about a car accident. It didn’t matter since someone had scratched out what it said and written something else over it. On top of the page there was a date scribbled out. 

“October third, 2191” He reads, “This was written six years ago”

Jane hums, and then flips the pages again, “And look at the ones in the beginning”

He takes the book from her hands again, and realises the pages are yellowish instead of white, as if the pages at the end had been added much later that this ones. Jane looks at his face as he tries figuring out what is written with the little lighting the fire provided to read.

“December 14, 2085” Bucky frowns, before he reads the first sentence.

_I write this in hope that someone will stop them._

Jane bites her bottom lip. She had been trying to figure out a way for it to make sense, unless whoever gave Darcy the notebook had lived longer than a hundred, it would be impossible for only one person to have written in that book. Hydra had been around long before they did, and someone had known, several someones. But why didn’t they stop Hydra back then. Bucky passes a few pages and then stops.

“Jericho fell on christmas morning” He reads, “People heard the noise before they saw the explosion, those who didn’t hide believed that they were seeing fireworks…” 

He swallows tightly as his mind paints a not so pleasing picture. Christmas wasn’t celebrated like before – only the followers of the old religion still did – it didn’t really included decorations or as many presents as he had read it used to. He wonders what went through he minds of the ones who woke up to see the skies turn red and ash fall instead of snow. And then he thinks about the ones who didn’t wake at all, those for him where the lucky ones.

“Bucky”

Jane waits until he looks at her. 

"This is bigger than I imagined” Jane says quietly, “And I don’t know how we ended in the middle of this but… I know there is a way to stop them but…”

But she’s afraid. And he can see it, deep underneath the determination that has been pushing Jane so far. From getting out of Arcadia with him, to finding Darcy, to finish what she started.

“I need to know you are doing this because you choose to” Jane says, “Not because of me… And I will understand if you don’t, I will”

Bucky doesn’t know why or how they ended in the middle of it either. But if the information they got from Loki was what would set in motion the events that will stop Hydra, he knew there was no other choice. No other right choice that is. 

“I’m coming with you,” He says firmly, “anywhere and everywhere”

Jane’s bottom lip trembles, "Will you _stay_ with me"

Bucky looks at her, brown eyes looking into his blue ones. when Bucky nods, the fear he saw in them disappear almost completely.

"Until the end of the line"


	4. Abaft

The sun isn’t out when Jane wakes up. A chill runs down her spine despite being covered by a thick wool blanket, and she tries to remember where she is as the rest of the sleepiness washes away slowly. After their talk the night before, Bucky had asked if he could read the journal and Jane complied, the weariness from the past few days without sleeping finally caught up to her and she needed to lay down. She remembers Bucky whispering that he would keep an eye out for them, that she should get rest. He then walked up to the car with the journal in his hands and sat on the passengers seat.

Jane glances at the car and sees the door open but the man is not there. She turns her head to the side, and sees Bucky is fast asleep next to her. The man snores softly, laying on his side like he fell asleep looking in her direction, and she feels herself smile softly at the thought of him _literally_ keeping an eye on her. Strands of his hair fall on his face and Jane reaches to move them away stopping herself fearing she would wake him up. A few feet away the fire was still burning, but she could tell it would die out soon. She reaches for the blanket covering them and pulls it up to his chest, and up to her chin.

“Bucky” She whispers softly, but the man doesn’t move at all, continuing to snore softly.

Bucky was a light sleeper unlike her, and it was only when he was truly exhausted that he didn’t wake up so easily. Jane remembers he had been been yawning as he listened to a song on the radio with the volumen very low, while she struggled to keep her eyes open afraid the nightmares would start again once she closed them. Jane starts moving closer to him until she can feel his breath against her lips, knowing that he would never allow anyone to get that close to him but her. She wants to feel the heat that irradiates from his body at all time, even when he had fallen into the icy cold waters of Glassmere and he was shuddering against her.

The cool breeze didn’t affect her as much at that moment and it seemed that it didn’t affect him at all.

Bucky’s jaw is covered by a thick stubble, and the frown lines on his forehead look deeper, the small wrinkles appearing on each side of his eyes. The sun had caused small freckles to appear alongside the bridge of his nose and his skin had tan golden, when it had made her sunburned and her skin feel coarse. If Bucky were to touch her again, he probably wouldn’t like it. 

“Hey, Bucky”

Her teeth gnawed her bottom lip, and she reaches for him again this time swiping the lock of hair falling over his eye. Jane tenses when Bucky’s hand circles her wrist, holding her in place as a frown appears between his eyebrows, before he opens his eyes. His face softens when he realises it’s her, and he lets her go. Jane apologises quietly for waking him up and Bucky shakes his head softly. 

“’ts alright”

“Why are the car’s doors open?” She asks glancing at the vehicle, she sounded slightly panicked, “Did you leave the doors open?” 

Bucky rubs his left eye while looking at her with the other, “The car has this… radar, if something enters our perimeter an alarm goes off” he explains, “I figured I had to… Let the doors open” He makes a face, “which sounds dumb now that I think about it” 

“You looked tired yesterday, probably weren’t thinking straight” Jane offers. 

Bucky makes an agreement noise and she returns a small smile.

“How did you sleep?”

“Well enough” She realises he’s whispering because of how close they are, Jane practically cuddling up to him, “You’re… Toasty” she says as an explanation despite Bucky not asking or recoiling away from her. 

He reaches for her forehead and swipes a curl off, “Your feet are cold” he says, and Jane realises she’s not wearing any shoes. 

When Bucky leans in to leave a small kiss on her forehead Jane feels a blush spread to her cheeks, and she swipes a lock of her hair behind her ear self-consciously, Bucky’s lips are pulled by a small smile and she feels his hand land on her waist. She allows him and stays still. 

Bucky had taken her shoes off when he realised she had finally fallen asleep. He was listening to a song while reading the manual he found under the seat when he glanced at her for what was probably the hundredth time and sighed relieved when Jane’s eyes were closed and her breathing was calm. He walked up to her and covered with a thick wool blanket, sitting next to her in silence. Minutes later he found himself laying down, and at the end he fell asleep without realising it.

A gentle breeze blows and the fire dies out infront of them. Bucky stares at the sky for a few seconds wishing it would stay dark for a little while longer, but soon the birds start to chirp. They will have to continue driving. He looks at Jane and finds her face close to his, she is looking at him with curious eyes, like it was the first time she woke with him by her side.

“There had been very few places I’ve felt this calm” Bucky says not being able to stop himself, “I just realised that it’s not the places but you”

Bucky leans in to leave a kiss on her forehead, when he pulls back he scans Jane’s face before hooking a finger under her chin. His lips part to speak, unsure of what he wants to say next. It doesn’t matter, because Jane is closing the distance between them and pressing their lips together in a soft kiss. Bucky groans softly, ducking down to deepen the kiss. The stubble scratches her slightly, and the thumb against her hip makes a lazy circle, Jane lets his hand trail down Bucky’s chest, warm and smooth, her nails scratching softly before she fists his shirt. The instant she feels callused fingertips push tentatively under the hem of her shirt, Jane shivers and breaks out of the kiss, bitting her bottom lip to keep from moaning. Bucky’s hand stills, but his thumb sweeps a careful line over her hipbone.

“Bucky, I-“

A strange whistling sound makes Bucky turn. A few feet from them the car’s alarm goes off, a mechanical voice coming from inside is repeating the same thing over and over. _Perimeter breached_. He stands up in a swift movement, walking towards the car at a fast pace. Jane calls his name but he ignores it, reaching for the screen next to the dashboard to see if he could make the now deafening sound stop. 

Bucky feels his heart hammering inside his chest, unlike seconds ago when it was because of Jane now it trashes violently in something that feels like fear, as he sees the blue dot approaching them. When he looks right ahead at it and sees the animal from the day before prancing few feet away from them, he lets out a shaky breath realising that's what set the alarm on. He flops back onto the seat running a hand through his face and hair, chucking breathlessly to himself as he rests his hand on the back of his neck. 

"We are fine" He says, "We are fine, Jane"

The trunk of the car is opened then, Bucky frowns and catches Jane's reflection in the rear view mirror. 

"Jane?"

Bucky stands and makes his way towards her. The woman ignores him calling her name, and when he finally reaches her he feels a pang bloom in his stomach. Jane's eyes are wide, a deep scowl between her bows as her shaky hands reach frantically inside the trunk, she has gone pail when her cheeks used to be pink and there is sweat running down her brow.

"Jane, it's alright" Bucky repeats, "it was-"

"They- they found us" Jane is saying under her breath, "Loki sent- he wants to take us back"

There's a moment when he isn't sure what to do, when he contemplates between asking what's wrong or giving her space, that is until Jane finds the gun. She is whispering where are the bullets Yondu have them, and Bucky remembers they left them in their car back in Catalean. Bucky swallows tightly, when he reaches for her, Jane jumps and slaps his hands away. Bucky grits his jaw, and reaches for the gun snatching it from her shaky hands. 

"Jane-"

"What if they found us!" Jane asks, “The shadow men, or the- the desolation pirates or-“

Bucky holds her face, both hands on each side of her face.

"Look at me" 

Jane's eyes are rimmed with tears, "What if-"

"Jane" Bucky says loudly, "I will not let them find us" 

"You can't know that"

Bucky feels Jane's cold hands circles his wrist, he thinks she's going to try to break free from his hold but she doesn't let go. He knows she is scared, for a moment he was too, and he also knows that she is right about a Loki. The maniac would not stop looking for them, he probably sent people out for them already, but they are miles away and on their way to a safe place and soon they will be with people willing to help them. 

"They are going to find us" Jane's lips are so close to his and her voice is barely above a shaky whisper, "What if they find us?"

The man's jaw is gritted tightly before he makes Jane look at him. 

"I will kill them before they get to you" Bucky says firmly.

A long time ago Bucky promised himself that Zola would be the last man he killed. Now, he would do anything in his power to get Jane to safety even if it means breaking a promise he made himself when he was still a slave. 

"I want to be able to protect you, too" Jane says then glancing at the gun, she presses their foreheads together and closes her eyes, "I just... I want to give you... Something in return"

"You give me peace, Jane" Bucky says, "you give me joy, and love, everything this world can't"

That's why he has to protect her. If he loses Jane, he loses everything. And then freedom wouldn't matter much. Bucky kisses the top of her head and pulls her into a tight embrace. He can almost feel her heartbeat against his chest, and her breathing is still elaborated despite the tears in the corner of her eyes disappearing. They stay like that for a few seconds, he rubs Jane’s back until she relaxes into his arms and he closes his eyes trying to only enjoy the silence and the cool breeze that starts to blow from the north.

“Hear that?” Bucky says quietly,“There’s no shadow men, or pirates” Jane chuckles, “It’s just us”

The air inflates and deflates her lungs normally now. It is quiet, except for the breeze and Bucky’s calm heartbeat against her ear, and the morning rays of sun illuminate their surroundings. There aren’t so many shadows anymore, and Jane feels safe.

 

* * *

 

They just started driving again after having their lunch. The air conditioner was off since they wanted all the energy to go to the engine, it meant fewer stops but also having to stand the heat, which was at its peak with the sun high above them. Jane puts her feet on the dashboard slowly glancing at Bucky to see if he complains, when he doesn’t say anything she leans back on the seat and taps her fingers on the journal page she has been reading. 

"You should get reading glasses”

Jane turns to Bucky, “What?” 

“You squint a lot” 

“Oh” She lets out a small chuckle and waves a hand, “It’s the sun” 

The man hums, “You were reading it last night and also squinted”

“Maybe because it was dark?” Jane retorts, looking at him with one raised eyebrow. 

“Or maybe,” He glances at her, “Because you need reading glasses”

Jane rolls her eyes but feels a smile pull from her lips as she finally closes the journal. Her eyes remain on him a few seconds, as she follows the drop of sweat running down his brow, one of his hands is on the steering wheel while the other is casually resting on his tight. The image of them kissing that morning comes to her mind, the memory of his hands under her shirt touching her skin, his body close to hers and the faint scratching of his stubble, when she feels a warmth on the pit of her stomach she looks away, like the thought of it is somehow forbidden. Her cheeks feel warm, and not only because of the heat but because of the thought of making love with Bucky again. She glances at him.

“Can you get me a bottle of water?” He says, “If you are not too busy staring”

Jane lets out a small embarrassing snort that she scolds herself for, and reaches under her seat. Her fingers find a plastic bottle and some kind of cloth, when she looks at what’s on her hands she sees a pair of jeans and a half empty bottle of water. Jane gives Bucky the bottle and notices there is something in the back pocket of the jeans. She reaches inside and pulls out a small chess piece. 

“I had forgotten about that”

“What is it?” Jane looks at Bucky, the small piece in her hand.

“I got it from Loki’s studio” The man says, throwing the empty bottle in the backseat, “It’s made of gold”

Jane scratched the paint with her thumbnail and hums. There is also a paper in the pocket, and when she takes it she realises is somehow familiar. Not only the yellowish pages, when she spreads it she can see the black ink letters and recognises the hand writing. She leaves the piece of gold aside and reaches for the journal. 

“Bucky” 

“What?”

“Did you also get this from Loki’s studio?” Jane asks, showing the paper to Bucky. 

He glances once and then looks back at the road, “Yeah, why?”

“This is signed by Howard Stark” Bucky hums, Jane opens the journal, “These two have the same hand writing” 

Bucky frowns, “But you said-“

“Yeah, yeah,” Jane nods, “This was written years ago, maybe decades”

“You think Howard Stark wrote that?” His frown deepens, “Jane, he died like a hundred-“

“Yes, but what if…” Jane looks at the pages in her hands, “What if he was killed by Hydra?” She says, “What if he knew about them before anyone else? What if he knew they couldn’t be stopped back then but wrote this to make sure whoever found it did” 

It sounded almost impossible, but what she had in her hands could be prove of it. Loki said Hydra had a plan and they had been building it for years, her father had said Glassmere had been in the hands of the Selvigs for generations and if he was Hydra maybe they all were. Howard Stark might have been part Hydra at the very beginning too, but just like her father he regretted it and tried to stop them.

“But it is said that he was the one who-“

“Hydra is responsible for Jericho” Jane says in realisation, “What if Stark knew but tried to stop them like my father did and that got him killed too?”

Bucky licks his lips, “But why would Hydra throw a bomb if-“ 

“Jericho was what stopped the war” She answers, “Ironically enough” she adds and rubs her eye with the heel of her hand. 

“Maybe Hydra needed to destroy the world so they could start anew” Bucky says after a few seconds, “But what would they want now? What’s their plan?”

Jane looks at him, “I don’t know” she sighs, “But whoever Darcy was working with does” 

Bucky glances at her and nods, “And whatever is inside of that” he nods at the necklace around her neck, “will help” 

Jane takes her hand to her chest, gripping the pendant tightly. Once they delivered that information things would become clearer but for now she couldn’t stop making herself more questions. She starts flipping the pages again going back to the first ones, and starts reading all over again, maybe she would be able to find something she missed. 

“You should give it a rest, Jane”

"Wait, listen to this," Jane clears her throat, "My only regret, as the world I built crumbles down, is that despite my accomplishments it is shame that will be passed down to my son," Bucky frowns, "Anthony" 

"This was written for him then" Bucky asks a few seconds later, "It sounds like he was expecting him to read it"

"But... He must have died when Jericho fell" Jane looks at him, "Stark lived in-" she squints, "Mant- Ma..." Bucky chuckles softly next to her and she narrows her eyes at him before continuing reading, "Manhattan"

"Ash Valley now?" He asks. 

"More like The Abyss" She retorts, "It says here that the bomb fell right in the middle of that city, everything that surrounded it was abandoned once the skies turn red"

"Maybe it was just Howard Stark trying to get rid of the guilt" Bucky shrugs, "Asking for forgiveness or..." 

Jane waits for him to finish the sentence but it doesn't happen, he trails off and his eyes stay focus on the road. She finally leaves the journal aside, and looks outside the window. There are still patches of green in the distance but everything else is desert, the scorching sun is above them and not even the cool breeze can defeat the heat.

"I forgive my father, you know?" She says, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt distractingly, "I don't justify his actions, never, but at the end he did save my life"

"And that's what going to stop Hydra" Bucky says, Jane's lips quirk upwards, "A chain reaction"

She puts a hand on Bucky's shoulder and squeezes softly, "We are going to stop them" 

The man takes her hand and kisses her knuckles. Jane looks at him, his blue eyes focus on the road ahead but he looks relaxed instead of tired or in a hurry. Seconds ago she wanted to get to their destination as soon as possible but right then she wishes their journey lasted longer. Things have always been better when it's just the two of them. Whether it was in the car, a hotel or an abandoned cabin in Glassmere. Even in Arcadia where it had all started, and she didn't know where it would end but she knew Bucky would be there. Until the end of the line, he said, and Jane knew he would stay with her beyond that.

"Can we stop" Jane asks suddenly, "Just for a minute" 

"Yeah, yeah"

Bucky is already slowing the car down when Jane unbuckles her seatbelt. He glances at her a few times before the car comes to a full stop, and when he turns the car off and unbuckles his own seatbelt, Jane climbs on his lap.

"What are-"

Jane doesn't let him get further than that, cupping his jaw and pulling him in for a kiss. A press of their lips at first, when he shuts his eyes and his hands finally leave the steering wheel to circle her wrist, she tilts her head to deepen the kiss, and when he pulls back slowly Jane can feel him smile against her lips. 

"Finishing what we started this morning?" Bucky asks. 

His words send a pleasuring buzz down her spine and she chuckles breathlessly feeling his hands move from her hips upwards and down again, making her skin bristle wherever he touches. Bucky cups her jaw, and pulls her in for another kiss. It's sweet, comforting, like Bucky's presence and the taste of Jane's lips. Bucky is about to say something else when Jane catches movement with the corner of her eye. It's bright outside, and there wasn't anything in miles according to the map on the screen infront of them, but a dark shadow had passed by them. Bucky tenses under her.

"Did you see-" 

Bucky nods. She climbs off his lap, moving to the backseat where Bucky had left the duffel bag with the gun in. When She opens it, Bucky circles her wrist.

"There aren't any bullets" He reminds her. 

"There is one" Jane says, "I will make it count" 

He shakes his head, "Stay here"

"No" She says firmly.

Bucky sighs heavily, and purses his lips reaching inside the bag for the gun. When he turns to her and puts it on her hands, Jane grips it and looks at him.

"Stay close" 

Jane nods. He gets out first and she follows close, he lets out a breath and Jane holds her breath at first not wanting to make a sound, letting the air go out slowly through her lips, the man glances at her and she offers a nod. She cocks the gun and lifts it, thankful that her hands aren’t shaking. 

"You see them?" 

Bucky looks around, "Maybe it was... Some kind of animal or-" 

The sound of an engine makes Jane look behind them. Bucky remains still, and neither can see where the sound came from. Jane feels nervous all of sudden, maybe the car is far but closing up on them, they could still make an escape if they moved fast. 

"Bucky, we have to-"

" _Put the gun down and step away from the vehicle_ "

Jane gives a step back but Bucky reaches behind him for her and puts a hand on her hip to prevent her from moving. The voice sounds partly mechanical, like it's being said through a megaphone and it surrounds them. Jane sees Bucky clench his fist and she swallows tightly, eyes scanning their surroundings. It's only then when she sees a strange distortion a few feet away from them. A line out of place that surrounds them, an illusion similar to a mirage.

"Get in the car" Bucky whispers to her.

"What? Bucky we-"

" _Now_ , Jane”

" _Move away from her_ " the voice says, " _slowly_ "

Bucky swallows, "We are surro-"

" _You are surrounded_ " 

Before Jane can say anything, four cars appear out of nowhere. Like they had been there all the time but covered by some kind of invisibility cloak. When Bucky turns Jane finally moves, practically jumping inside the car and Bucky does the same. Jane falls on the passenger’s seat, and when she lifts her gaze a man is gripping Bucky’s shirt. 

"Bucky, move!"

He ducks his head and she lifts the gun once again. Bucky is freed from the man’s hold, and he looks at Jane with wide eyes. Behind him the man curses loudly while he holds his shoulder. She shot a man. Her body feels paralysed and the gun in her hand vibrates still, as smoke rises from the barrel. The sound of glass shattering pulls her out of her thoughts and a hand circles her neck, trying to pull her out of the car through the window.

"Jane!"

Jane's eyes go wide and she reaches for him. But before she can touch him she feels a sting on her neck, and everything starts to blur at the edges. Jane tries to call Bucky’s name when she sees him being held down by two dark figures, similar to the one that looms over her before she loses consciousness.

 

* * *

 

They took Jane.

Bucky tries to swallow the bad taste in his mouth. He had been overpowered by two other men as he saw Jane being dragged out of the car by another one. He looks at his hands and grits his jaw, his knuckles had been bleeding but are now bandaged and the is a gash on his temple that had been treated. Whoever caught them, whether it was the Shadow men or Hydra, must have been following them for a while and now that they had him, they wanted him alive. He tries to make a plan to escape but there isn’t a way out of the van he was in. They had been driving for what feels hours but Bucky woke up barely half an hour ago so he wasn’t sure how long he had been there. The strangest thing of it all aren’t his mended wounds, but the fact that they didn’t tie him up in any way, not his legs or arms despite him giving a fight, they didn’t even put any kind of restraints on him while he was unconscious. 

The car finally comes to a stop a few minutes later, and Bucky braces himself. There will be another fight, they will try to hold them down but he can’t let them.

_Just hold on, Jane_. 

When the doors open the brightness outside blinds him for a few seconds, but he gives a few steps closer to the exit. When he can finally see his surroundings the dread and anger fades away almost completely as it’s replaced by... Confusion. Wide eyes look up at him before a small mischievous smile pull from the child’s lips. 

“Are you the Captain?” He asks. 

“Honey, you gotta get in the line” 

Bucky gives a step back and sees as a woman approaches them. The child that opened the van is taken away by her, and Bucky frowns even more confused when he sees more people walking around. He takes a few breaths before walking outside the van slowly taking in everything around him. It’s still not dark outside, but the sun is not as high as it used to be and the afternoon seems to be a cool one. The cold doesn’t seem to be affecting the many people walking around him. Men, women and children. 

“What the…”

It’s only when he sees a man wearing an uniform that he stops thinking about it. They were the ones who captured him, the men in… Blue. _They took Jane_. He is about to walk towards him when he is stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“I wouldn’t pick up a fight with him if I were you”

Bucky grits his jaw and shuts his eyes tightly. He turns with the intension of throwing the first punch, but when he opens his eyes and sees the man behind him his shoulders drop and he lets out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Jane wasn’t so wrong about pirates after all. The man is wearing a goddamn eyepatch. 

“You have got to be fucking kidding me”


	5. The Man Out Of Time

_Somewhere in Desolation. January 18, 2192._

The dream vanishes infront of his eyes, and the first thing he questions is if it had been a dream at all. As he gains consciousness slowly, memories rush to his brain and mix with the nightmare he just had. He was trapped underneath ice, maybe something else, that pulled him in and in until he could barely see the surface. He remembers a face first, brown eyes and dark hair, red lips.

When he tries to speak his realises his body isn't responding as it should. His limbs feel heavy and numb at the same time, there is a tingle in his toes and the tip of his fingers but he can't move at all. He tries focusing his sight but all he sees is bright spots and dark shadows looming over him, there is a smell of... It seems familiar but he can't quite put his finger on it.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._  

There are several cables surrounding him, and they are all attached to his body. He is connected to a machine. He remembers then that he had gotten inside some kind of pod, and suddenly everything starts to become clearer, not only his sight but the fog in his head starts disappearing and he can remember. Peggy, the call, the bomb, the cave. 

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

The beeping sound in the distance becomes more and more loud, like he’s recovering his hearing despite not realising he had lost it, and his fingers twitch on each side of his body. _That's good_ , he thinks, _movement_. But still, he can’t seem to be able to talk at all, when he tries no sound comes out of his mouth.

_Cardiac rhythm stabilised._

_Respiratory system cleared._

_Brain activity normal._

_Subject stable._  

It takes him longer than it should, and he would blame the shock of waking up, to realise that _he_ is the subject. 

Nick Fury loses consciousness again.

 

* * *

 

The next time he wakes up he is in a bed, and his whole body jolts awake with him this time. There is no numbness even thought he still feels disoriented, and there is a soft ache on his limbs, like he had exercised without warming them up first. Fury is sitting on top of a soft mattress and white, warm blankets are covering him, there is a machine next to him that shows him his heart rate is normal, for a scared person that is. _A hospital, I'm in the hospital_. He takes a hand to his chest and then his face and neck, before he looks at his hands, they are shaking but look the same as he remembers them. He has to slap himself - literally - and is almost relieved when an unpleasant warmth spreads through his cheek. 

“I’m alive” He says, it comes out rough and his throat feels sore, “I'm- Where…”

Fury swallows tightly a few times but his mouth is too dry. When he lifts the blanket covering him, he moves his toes letting out a relief breath when he sees movement.

Another flash of memory crosses his mind. He arrived to the cave – no, _the bunker_ , and he read some words out loud before the ground started shaking underneath him. He had heard a voice, it told him that he was safe.

“Peg- Peggy”

He groans taking a hand to his head, where he suddenly started to feel as if someone was hammering nails inside his brain. 

A door slams close. He lifts his gaze and turns around finding the room still empty.  _Hallucinations could be possible_. His brain could be damaged, something could be affecting his mind. Fury shakes the thought away and gathers his strength to be able to move his legs, when his feet touch the floor he is relieved to feel how cold it is. There is an IV attached to his arm, the only one and doesn’t seem to be too important, he pulls from it and winces when he feels the sting of the needle leaving his skin. _It’s good, Nick, you are fine_. The man takes a few deep breaths and stands on his feet, which surprisingly enough can hold his weight, his muscles seem to be strong enough despite him having a lot less mass than he remembers. He needs to know how long it has been, what happened with the bomb, to Peggy. 

Fury makes it to the door with a bit of struggle but his legs don’t give up on him. If he was on cryo-sleep not much time must have passed, maybe Peggy did manage to stop them. 

“Hydra” Fury gasps, remembering finally.

It sends surge of adrenaline through his body. Whoever is outside the room must have been called by Peggy that day too. When Fury finally reaches for the doorknob he realises the door is locked. 

“ _Please, return to your bed_ ”

The same voice he had heard before. The one who guided him to safety, it told him to get inside one of the ‘sleeping pods’, that everything would be alright. More memories rush to his brain, and only then he remembers that it was an automated voice he had heard before a few times, whenever he accompanied Peggy to her meetings with... Howard Stark.

“Hello?”

“ _Please, return to your bed_ ”

He swallows thickly, “Can you tell me where-“

“ _The IV you took out was feeding you with the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs_ ” the voice continues, “ _You don’t have the sufficient strength for arduous physical activity yet_ ”

Fury closes his eyes and sighs, “FRIDAY”

“ _Yes, Agent Fury?_ ”

A sigh of relief leaves his lips, “FRIDAY, unlock this door”

“ _I wouldn’t recommend-_ “

“Right fucking Now” Fury grits. 

A beat. 

Two beats.

“ _Of course, Agent Fury_ ”

When he hears the door unlock, Fury lets out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. The halls are empty, and the white lights illuminating it blind him, he shuts his eyes tightly opening them a few seconds later, it's useless since the edges of his vision blur. Fury tries to focus his gaze a few times.

“I only got one eye and it’s not fucking working anymore?”

“ _You will experience light sensitivity for a few_ _days_ " Fury rolls his eyes at the almost condescending tone the AI uses, _"other secondary effects will include migraines, dizziness, and vertigo, nausea-_ ” 

“Ok, ok, I get it” Fury grunts, giving a few experimental steps out of the room, "You still there?"

“ _Of course, I am everywhere in Maraud_ ” 

He frowns, “Maraud?” He leans against the walls, trying to find support but also a way out without the full use of his sight. 

“ _Military Anti-bomb Refuge_ ” the AI answers, “ _Armoured, Underground and_ _Declassified_ ” 

It takes him a few seconds to get it, when he does he lets out a small chuckle, “Clever” 

“ _Maraud is also a derivative from the word marauder, which means rogue_ ”

Fury frowns, “Is that what this is? A rogue faction from SHIELD?”

One beat.

Two beats. 

“ _Clever_ ” 

Fury grits his jaw and lets out deep breath through his nose, he makes his way through the halls but his legs start feeling tired and his knees buckle a few times, he felt like a baby deer trying to give its first steps. Or like he had been running a marathon instead of walking slowly across the hall, he tries to take a few deep breaths while he leans against a wall. 

“ _Go to the left_ ” 

He frowns, “What?” 

“ _To your left, agent Fury_ ”

He isn’t sure why he decides to follow the instructions, but he is already so tired of walking and getting lost in what seems to be a labyrinth isn’t what he needs right now. It isn’t until then that he realises something else… The place is too quiet. If it’s a bunker like he thought, and it belongs to SHIELD like FRIDAY had implied, it should be packed with people. Unless everyone was already gone. But why would they leave him? If he only knew how long it took whoever woke him up to do so, he could have an idea of what happened.

“FRIDAY, where is everyone?” 

“ _The sleeping pods that were used have already being opened_ ”

Nick sighs, feeling frustrated at the vague answers. He hears music then, coming from the end of the hall at the left, he walks faster then but it stops, and the halls go quiet again. 

“How many pods were available?” He asks as he makes his way to the door. 

A few seconds pass. 

“ _One hundred fifty_ ”

He is struggling to breath and hold himself up when he finally reaches for it. A sense of dread invades him then and he doesn’t know why or if he should be afraid, his fingers begin to tingle and he isn’t sure if its anticipation or anxiety, or yet another side effect of waking up from cryo-sleep. Closing his eyes he takes a deep breath, and then the loud music starts again.

“How many pods… Were used?” Nick hears himself ask. 

Silence again, like the machine needed to think. His hand twitch on each side of his body. 

“ _Two_ ”

He pushes the door open and sees a man hunched over a desk, his back at the door and Nick swears he recognises him. The music stops once again and it’s only his own heartbeat what he hears.

“How did you lose your eye?” 

Nick scowls. He feels paralysed, not sure if shock or fear, maybe both, but he can’t seem to move or speak at all. The room he is in is a mess. A workshop of some kind, there is a lot of metal scraps on the floor and tool boxes laying around, bottles of water and paper cups, Nick can see several book shelves but no other kind of furniture. 

“I have a list of theories” The man continues, and a hologram appears infront of Fury’s eyes showing said list, “BB gun accident and real gun accident included… I always wondered” 

“Who-“ 

“I made you one, by the way” Nick frowns confused, “An eye, very high tech, the workshop was packed just for me” He lets out a dry chuckle, “Though I gotta admit the eyepatch did make you more intimidating” 

“Stark?” 

The man finally turns to him, the left side of his lips twitch in what could be a smirk or a grimace, “Just not the one you think” 

Nick takes a deep breath, “ _Anthony_ ”

 

* * *

 

One hundred and seven years. 

He had slept for _one hundred and seven years_. 

Peggy is dead. Howard is dead. The bomb fell.

“They called it Jericho” Tony says. 

The man is leaning against the table behind him. He had offered Nick the chair he found him in, and he had to accept since his legs were starting to give up on him. Tony explained him how the pods worked, cryo-sleep but much more advanced, the machine sent small quantities of electricity through his body that kept his muscle mass from shrinking,  there was also an IV that fed him with nutrients while he was in stasis and the entire machine kept the body temperature regulated.

Tony spoke about it for a while - rambled, really - and Nick could tell he did so to avoid talking about more important things, or to prevent Fury from asking questions he might have not have the answers to yet. Or answers Fury wasn't ready for. 

 _Peggy and Howard were dead_.

“How did you get here?”

Tony stops his rambling and looks at him with a frown, “What do you mean?”

“To the bunker” Fury clarifies, “I’m here because Peggy told me about it, I thought it was a secret SHIELD location but… There is no one else here but us” 

The other man licks his lips, “Three days prior to the bomb falling, when the pictures appeared and all that, Howard called me for a meeting” Tony scratches his beard, “When I arrived to his house I was knocked unconscious and… I woke up here” 

Fury frowns deepens. By the way Tony says it, it sounds like he didn’t like at all the way his father had done things, and well, it does sound like he hadn't had any saying in it. Fury swallows tightly, at the thought of Tony waking up having no idea over a hundred years had passed. _Well, he did have FRIDAY_.

“I woke up three years ago” Tony’s eyes shift from him to the corner of the room, “FRIDAY says my pod malfunctioned after an earthquake” 

Tony doesn’t wait for him to ask about it. Instead he moves towards the bookshelf on the other side of the room and comes back with a leather journal. 

“When I woke up, FRIDAY showed me a message Howard had left" Tony licks his lips, "Which led me to this"

Fury takes the journal. 

“I thought it was for Peggy at first, but… Seems like Howard was hoping to bring more people here” Tony continues, “Jericho fell too soon, I guess he didn’t have any time”

“You didn’t know about this bunker then” 

“My father was a man of many secrets” He says, voice strained, “I guess this was one of them” 

The journal was written by Howard. Fury only has to read the first three pages to realise he knew about the existence of Hydra but knew he couldn’t stop them. The bomb falling was inevitable, and it had all been Hydra. When he looks at Tony he finds him staring with a serious expression. Nick remembers Tony from before, he had attended a few meetings between Howard and Peggy, sometimes he went to SHIELD to use the labs, and the last time he had seen him he looked a lot younger.

His mind starts making calculations. Tony was around 22 when his father had put him to sleep, he woke up three years before Fury did, so he must be 25 years old biologically. _His unkept beard makes him look older_ , Fury notices.

Fury was not a young man when he got into the pod, he was already 40, he still looked the same even though he was already… 147 years old. Which makes Tony 129 years old. They are probably the two oldest people in the world. If there is a world outside, his mind supplies, and only then he realises Tony hadn’t mentioned how everything looked outside.

“Keep reading” He hears Tony say, “Pretty much everything you are asking yourself must be in there”

Tony had written a few pages himself, at the very end of the journal. How the bomb turn the skies red, they called it Jericho because people heard horns in the sky before the Manhattan walls fell. Tony found a newspaper cutout of Peggy’s death and wrote something on top of it, that her death hadn’t been accidental. 

“FRIDAY kept records of everything that happened inside the Walls right until the last minute, in case you need to ask about that” Tony adds, “Including a recording of my father’s death”

Fury looks at him, “He was killed giving a speech” at least it says so in the newspaper cutout he was reading.

“That’s what was reported, yeah” Tony says, “Hydra did a good job cleaning up after themselves” 

“Hydra- you know about Hydra?” 

“Peggy was killed just like my father was, just for knowing about Hydra’s existence” Tony continues, “All Howard knew about them was written in that journal, people he thought were involved, events that could be linked back to Hydra… I made a timeline if you want to see it” 

“ _And I helped made the timeline more accurate_ ”

Tony chuckles, “Sure, sure, FRIDAY” 

“ _You must give credit when it’s due_ ” 

Fury isn’t sure why Tony is talking about Hydra. _You are all that’s left from SHIELD_. Peggy’s words resonate in his head, and he looks at the picture of her in the journal. Howard knew he wouldn’t be able to stop Hydra, by the time he had figure what was going on they had destroyed his reputation so no one would believe him, he turned to Peggy but once again Hydra was two steps ahead. They weren’t counting on Fury to enter the picture though, or Tony. A very unlikely duo.

“You… Understand why Peggy told you about this” Tony says carefully.

Fury looks at the journal in his lap, and fragments of the life he left behind the moment he answered Peggy’s phone call come to his mind. All of that was gone and it was because of Hydra. _You are all that’s left from SHIELD_. He looks around and sees that Tony didn’t spent his days wallowing or dwelling on the past, he started building – or continued to built what his father had started. He knows that Tony doesn’t only mean why Peggy told him about the bunker. Peggy had confirmed to him that SHIELD had fallen into the hands of Hydra… And she had asked him to bring it down once it was possible. Even if it was one hundred years later. Hydra would try to rise from the ashes of the world it destroy, but with Nick Fury maybe something else could. 

“I’m ready to begin as soon as possible” 

Tony’s lips are quirked by a smile.

“Have you been outside?” Fury asks then. 

“A few times” 

“How… How is it?”

Tony at him, “Do you wanna find out by yourself?”

Nick Fury nods firmly without missing a beat.


	6. Below My Feet

Bucky’s fist are clenched tightly on each side of his body. He shrugs the stranger’s hand off and glares at him, but the man only raises his hands and chuckles sounding almost amused. When Bucky glances around him again, he notices there are two uniformed men looking in his direction – they have guns similar to the ones he had seen Loki’s men carry – but neither walk towards them, everyone else seems to be minding their own business. Two buses seemed to have arrived at the same time Bucky did, and the uniformed men start guiding people towards the tents a few feet away from them. For some reason he expects to see Jane, but when the woman is nowhere to be seen he looks at the man infront of him again. 

“Where is she?” 

“She is fine”

Bucky feels his jaw grit his teeth, “Who are you?” he asks, “What is this place?“

“I’m Nick Fury” The man says, “And this is SHIELD” 

Bucky looks around, the bandage in feels hands is too tight and there’s cold sweat running down his brow. Around him things seem a lot more calm than inside his head. The buses aren’t taking people away, there are children running around and the men in uniform seem to be there to… Protect them rather than keep them from running. Bucky can see the symbol on their chest, it looks like an eagle.

“SHIELD” Bucky says under his breath, “You are the ones who she wanted us to find”

Fury cocks an eyebrow.

“Darcy” He looks away, “She didn’t make it” the other man’s eye is on him, “Listen, I just want to see Jane and then-”

Fury sighs, “Darcy Lewis contacted someone from Glassmere for us,” He continues as if Bucky hadn’t spoken, “we were able to enter the colony without being noticed and evacuated the remaining people in a matter of three days” 

Darcy was the one who helped the people in Glassmere escape to Maraud. He makes a mental note to tell Jane, if Nick Fury hadn’t yet, and then he wishes that Darcy would have been able to tell Jane herself.

“Walk with me” 

It doesn’t sound like an order but a request, so Bucky does.

Fury tells him that they had also being able to contact Roseburn weeks ago, and they were evacuating civilians – which is where most of the people around them came from – while a small faction was staying behind to protect the colony from Hydra. He spoke as if there was a war coming soon, but Bucky doesn’t want to ask about it, once they gave Nick Fury the chip inside Jane’s necklace it wouldn’t be their problem.

“The information she got for us is very important” Fury says, “ It must not fall on the wrong hands, so I trust that you still have it” 

Bucky wants to ask what makes him think that he is trustworthy, specially since whatever it is on that chip seems to be more important that he thought, but he simply nods and Fury seems to be okay with that as an answer. When Fury starts walking again Bucky follows, glancing around him to look for Jane with his eyes. His soul seems to come back to his body when he spots a familiar set of brown curls in the distance. Jane is talking to a woman under one of the tents, she points at something and tilts her head the way she does when she is asking a question and when the woman answers, Jane smiles widely.

“Darcy Lewis had only one condition when we ask for her help, and it was to find her sister and keep her safe” Fury tells him, “Which you have done so far”

And he would continue to do it until they reached Maraud.

“Everyone here makes it to safety?”

“Every single one of them” 

Bucky would take his worth for it.

 

* * *

 

Wanda has a strange accent that Jane has heard before. Julia told her once about the nomads from The Walls, which people called the Crazies. When Jericho fell, some extremist religious groups had taken the red skies and the fallen ashes as a sign from the Apocalypse. They went into hiding for years and then reappeared as nomads, they spoke in a tongue called Aramaic and traveled through the New World gathering more followers for the Old Religion. They went to the Winter Solstice festival once, having entered the Glassmere without permission, with their strange accents and white robes covered in ashes they started preaching in the middle of the plaza and people were uncomfortable, Jane doesn’t remember what they talked about before a small riot started.

“We were given most of these supplies by the Ravangers” Wanda tells her, as Jane helps her to sort the medical supplies from the boxes.

Jane had woken up a couple of hours after she and Bucky had been attacked. Well, they hadn’t been attacked at all, more like rescued. They called themselves SHIELD, a small organisation that existed since before World War IV, they were the ones who told Darcy about Hydra and, as far as Jane understood, were working on stopping them. She asked about Bucky a million times before she finally got answer, he was in another car that would arrive later. Wanda found her standing in the middle of the crowd looking confused, and asked her to help with the medical supplies to take her mind off things 

“You know who they are?”

Jane blinks a few times, “The Ravangers?” Wanda nods, “Yeah” she answers, “they helped me get out of Arcadia”

Wanda nods, “They are an odd bunch, but they are nice” she chuckles, “My husband and I have encountered them a few times”

“You are married?” Jane asks.

“Yes” The woman nods, “To the doctor who came with you in the bus”

There were two men with Jane in the bus. A young man with a strange accent like Wanda’s – Jane had actually shot him, thankfully it had been a flesh wound – and an older one who was bandaging his arm. When he had realised Jane was awake, he told her that the effect of the drug would wear off and that she was safe. Jane’s head had been foggy until minutes later so she doesn’t remember his name, but she remembers the scar the man had on his face, a long line that went from his left temple, across the bridge of his nose towards his right cheek. 

“How long have you been traveling?”

"About 9 years” Wanda answers, “Me and my brother left our people when we were fifteen” 

Wanda and her brother Pietro – who Jane had shot in the arm, a flesh wound only but she really wanted to apologise – left the nomads from The Walls and became Desolation Rangers, Pietro had an accident one day and ended with a broken leg. 

“We made it to an Oasis-”

“An Oasis?”

“It’s like a... exchange market of sorts, it’s where Rangers trade most of their findings if they can’t reach Catalean” Wanda explains, “They have places to eat and rest, and we were lucky enough that there was a doctor too” 

Jane looks at Wanda as she tells her story. There is a glint in her eyes as she talks about it, despite the start of it being a sad one. Having to leave your family for... whatever reason, seemed scary. At least she had her brother.

“Victor Shade” Wanda says, “They called him Vision” she chuckles, “He was rarely around since he was... not a Ranger or a Ravanger, just a wanderer really”

Jane wants to ask about the name, but she lets Wanda continue her story.

“Pietro asked Vision if he wanted to travel with us for a while and he accepted” Wanda gives Jane a few bottles of medicine and she starts to sort them, “They became friends quickly but I found him annoying” she chuckles, “Pietro and I weren’t used to have someone caring for us, and... I thought he would leave eventually so I couldn’t get too attached anyways” Jane smiles softly when Wanda does, “Then a year passed and we were still together, then two years went by and he was still there” 

“You feel in love with him without realising it” 

Wanda nods, “He was caring, and smart, he taught us both how to tend wounds, make medicine, sew stitches...” she says, “It was what he did. He saw people in need and helped them, he’s just a good man” 

“That’s not something you can find easily” Jane says, “In this world”

“It isn’t” The woman nods, “I confessed my feelings for him but he rejected me saying I was too young to know what I wanted” 

“How old were you?”

“I was nineteen and he was already twenty eight”

“Oh” 

“I knew he did love me that way but I didn’t push him, he had his reasons, though he didn’t give them back then”

One night Wanda was kidnapped. Turns out the Crazies had been following them after recognising them, and wanted to take them back. It took Pietro and Vision three months to find her. Jane doesn’t ask what happened to Wanda while she was with the Crazies, and Wanda doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.

“I remember seeing his face as they carried me out, it was like... I realised why people called him Vision” Wanda chuckles and Jane follows, “Pietro told me all they went through to look for me, Vis almost goes mad, he even got in a fight with other Ranger one day” she continues, “it’s how he got the scar” 

Jane takes her hand to her cheek, remembering suddenly that she had one there too. Not as big or noticeable as Vision’s but there was also a story behind it. It also involved a kidnapping and rescue, being found by the man she loved and carrying a scar to never forget she had been saved. Wanda tells her that Vision and her married a year after that, right before Wanda’s twentieth birthday, and had been inseparable ever since.

“You look cold” Wanda then says, she takes off the cardigan she’s wearing. 

“Oh, no it’s alright” Jane says, despite feeling the chill of the night approaching.

Wanda waves a hand, “No worries” she puts the cardigan over her shoulders, “There”

Jane thanks her quietly. 

“Do you know him?” The woman gestures at someone behind her. 

Jane frowns. When she turns she is meet with a hard chest and two arms circling her waist, pulling her impossibly closer into a familiar embrace. Bucky. Jane closes her eyes and returns the embrace with a small relief sigh and a smile on her face.

“We have got to stop separating” Bucky whispers against her hair.

Her sight blurs, “I agree”

The man pulls back and cups her face, “You alright? Did you get hurt?” 

“I’m fine” Jane licks her lips, circling his wrists, “You?”

“Better now” He nods, he kisses her lips, “Much better” he kisses her forehead.

“You are suppose to be unconscious in that ambulance”

Bucky looks in Wanda’s direction. Jane turns to find Victor, who leans in to kiss Wanda’s lips before turning to them again. Bucky scowls, and he lets go of Jane’s face to hold her hand and stand infront of her protectively. Jane stops him, putting the hand he’s not holding on his shoulder. 

“It’s okay” She says quietly, when he looks at her she offers a smile, “We are okay” 

Bucky’s eyes soften, and he nods. 

“I apologise for scaring you” Victor says, “I’m Vision” he offers his hand. 

Bucky looks at it before he takes it, “Bucky” he shakes his hand and then lets it go.

The man offers a polite nod, “I’m the doctor who patched you up” he points at his forehead.

“Thank you”

“You were very... Intense when you were being taken to the ambulance so I gave you a sedative” Vision explains, an apologetic look on his face, “It was strong enough to knock your lights out for a couple more hours but... Here you are”

Bucky shrugs, “Here I am” 

Vision suppresses a small smile, “I assume you will want to eat something and rest, yes?”

Jane nods.

“The second tent has food” Vision points behind them, “and then you will be taken to your rooms”

Bucky frowns, “The buses?”

Wanda shakes her head, “The rooms in the bunker”

“Bunker” He repeats, “There’s a bunker?” 

“Aha” Wanda nods, “We are right on top of it”

Jane looks at her feet and then at Wanda. The woman smiles and shakes Bucky’s hand, before she pulls Jane in for a hug.

“Thanks” Jane says.

She takes Bucky’s hand before walking away.

“She seems nice” Bucky says, “The doctor not so much”

Jane chuckles and rolls her eyes, “Both seemed nice”

Bucky hums. He throws an arm around Jane and kisses the top of her head. Jane sees the bandage around his hand, and notices there is a butterfly closure on his temple. She can’t recall if he had gotten injured when they were taken at first, but then she remembers Vision said he had been ‘intense’ when he had been taken to the ambulance. That must have happened after Jane lost consciousness. Maybe he saw her being knocked out and started to fight and that’s how he got injured. She bites her bottom lip, and is about to ask if that’s what had happened when they finally reach the tent. 

Bucky turns to her, “Where do you think we are?” He asks in a hushed tone.

Jane blinks a few times, “What do you mean?”

“We must be far from where we were, since it’s almost dark and we were taken when it was noon” he says, “Unless they drove in circles, which I doubt”

Jane looks at the sky, where the sun is already setting and she can see a few stars already appearing in the distance. East. They drove east from where they were before, she frowns, the coordinates given to them hadn’t been taking them where they are now. SHIELD must have been leading them on in the opposite direction and keeping an eye on them at the same time. Just is case they were being followed by Hydra or _were_ Hydra. 

“How long do you think you slept?”

Jane looks at him, “About... four or five hours” she says, “I arrived here before you did”

Bucky looks at her, “Did you meet Fury?”

“Who?”

“The man with the- I think it’s their leader or something” Bucky says, he glances around as if looking for someone, “He has an eyepatch” Jane dimples at him, “Yes, like a pirate” he adds. 

“I didn’t see anyone” she says after a few seconds, “I was told to wait for you in that tent and then Wanda asked me to help her”

Bucky sighs and then simply gives one nod. 

“I really hope they give us a bed” He says after a few seconds. 

Jane makes an agreement noise. Seconds later she realises he said ‘us’, and she remembers the last time she fell asleep next to him in a bed. Bucky is warm, always, but his temperature seemed even higher while he laid naked next to her in the same state. She remembers his elaborate breathing just seconds after he had finished on her stomach, when Jane had glanced at him there was sweat running down his brow and his abdomen had a thin layer of it that making it look like it was glowing, all the way down to his navel. Jane remembers thinking how gorgeous he was. And Jane would have reached for him if she hadn’t felt so tired. One second she was floating, wrapped in his scent and warmth, and then she had fallen asleep. 

“And also a shower” Bucky adds.

Jane blinks a few times, “Yeah, shower”

Bucky turns to her, “I’m just... Happy we made it here”

She looks at him, “I’m happy we are here together” 

The man hesitates before he leans in and presses his lips against hers in a soft kiss, when he pulls back Jane offers a small smile. Only then Jane realises that every touch, every kiss they had shared the pass days have been initiated by him, and he only pressed further after she gave him a silent permission, parting her lips slightly or leaning into his touch. She barely realises she had been doing it but she knows how much she enjoys it. Jane feels her cheeks heat up, and there is a warmth spreading through her stomach.

“Ew! Gross!” 

Bucky and Jane turn to find a group of children looking at them. A woman then approaches them and apologises, Jane blushes slightly and waves it off, while Bucky chuckles softly and scratches the back of his neck almost nervously.

 

* * *

 

Once he’s done with his meal he wishes he could stand up and look for more, but he had seen a lot of people leave the tent and he’s pretty sure there isn’t much food left. Bucky glances around from where him and Jane are sitting, a wooden table long enough for at least thirty people. The sun is already gone, but there are several lights surrounding them, and there are still people walking around. He wonders how many people have SHIELD gotten out of the other colonies, and where are they taking them. 

Jane finishes a few minutes later, and then drowns an entire bottle of water in a matter of seconds. Bucky finds himself staring at her as she leaves the empty bottle aside and reaches for her hair to untie it, letting the brown curls cascade down her back and shoulders. She leans her elbows on the table. 

“My neck is killing me” She says, hand resting on the nape of her neck. 

Bucky licks his lips.

“How’s your head?” He frowns, “You have...” she points the butterfly closure on his temple. 

He takes his hand there, “It doesn’t hurt”

“Thankfully you didn’t get seriously injured” Jane says relieved. 

Bucky shrugs, “I’ve gotten worse” she tilts her head, “Way worse” 

“The Pit?” She rests her chin on her hand.

“The Pit” He says, “the Slums, Underground fights, bar fights...” 

Jane makes a face, “How many things have you broken?”

“Too many to count” He says, “Several times, sometimes all at the same time” 

Jane makes a face, “I broke my wrist once” she looks at her right hand, “I was ice skating, and I feel on it” 

“Ice Skating?” Jane hums, “Sounds dangerous”

Jane chuckles, “not as dangerous as a day in the Pit”

“Or going in for a swim not knowing how to swim” Bucky retorts. 

To his surprise Jane barks out a laugh, and he finds himself smiling when a blush appears on her cheeks. Embarrassment and a hint of amusement wash over her face. 

“Maybe you can teach me” Jane then says, “To swim”

Bucky nods, “Okay”

“Okay” Jane smiles sweetly. 

Bucky can see she’s tired, her eyes are sleepy and she seems lost in thought after that. He is in love with her. his brain reminds for some reason, and maybe it’s the way he is unconsciously imagining their future after all of it it’s truly over. Maybe they would go back to Glassmere during winter and she can teach him how to skate, and once he can go back to Catalean he can take her to swim in the ocean or the rivers that are found in the heart of the colony. Maybe he can introduce her to Steve, he wants to find him too, he feels like he would like to have his approval. 

The cardigan she’s wearing falls off her shoulder then, and Bucky catches a glimpse of the scar on her upper arm. The one left by Aida’s physicians after the ‘ceremony’. A reminder of the only time he had failed Jane. He swallows tightly. 

“Hey” Jane says softly, her hand reaching for his, “There are people leaving, we should follow them” 

Bucky can only nod.

 

* * *

 

Jane glances around as she tries to keep up with the woman who is guiding her to her room for the night as she walks and talks at a fast pace. Bucky had been taken to a different side of the bunker alongside other men, she had seen Vision and Wanda’s brother Pietro with him. There were a lot of people left but only women and children as far as she could see were going to her side, Wanda passes by her and waves, Jane smiles back but it fades slowly when she realises Wanda is guiding a long line of unaccompanied children to their rooms. Jane has an idea of what could have happened to their parents, so she doesn’t ask.

Twenty minutes later she is pretty much the only one left. There were many rooms available, and Jane wonder who had built such a big bunker and for what, and if it had been years before World War IV or before Jericho destroyed the Old World. The bunker had space for enough people to survive the blast, either of the ones that happened, and she wonders if SHIELD had owned it at some point before and if they had saved enough people. Her head starts to pound, and she isn’t sure if it’s because she’s tired or thinking too hard, if the latter is possible. Jane shuts her eyes and rubs her temples. 

“Hey” 

She opens her eyes to find a woman looking at her.

“Are you alright?” The woman asks, “Where you taken to medical when you arrived?”

Jane shakes her head, “But I’m fine, just... Tired”

“Ok” The woman nods, “I’m Agent Danvers, you can call me Carol” 

“Jane”

“Jane Sel- Foster, I know” Carol nods, “You were suppose to be here with another woman, but I understand she won’t be coming” 

Jane looks away, “I... So I will be alone”

“This is your room” she points at the door next to them, ignoring Jane’s question, “There is a change of clothes, pijamas for tonight, and a few items in the shower for you to clean yourself” she then adds, “No long showers, don’t waste water” 

Jane opens the door and takes a look inside the room. It’s not big but it feels spacious enough for two people, there are two steel beds – they almost looked like made of thin wire, but the mattresses looked very comfortable – and a nightstand between them, a door that leads to the bathroom and no windows, the only light in the room is from the lamp next to the beds. Carol stands next to the entrance like she’s waiting for something as Jane walks around the small room. 

Jane stops when she notices there is a familiar looking box in the middle of one of the beds. Her mind travels to the day she and Bucky arrived to Glassmere and found Letitia. She had given Jane a box with some belongings that were recovered from the ruins of her home, Jane had taken a few items and left them in the trunk of the car that was abandoned in Catalean.

“Letitia” Jane looks at the agent, “How did...”

“One of our informants in Catalean told us about a woman who had been visited by Hydra men in a hotel” Carol says as an explanation.

_Claire Temple_. Her mind supplies.

“When we arrived the next morning both of you were gone, but your car was there” 

Jane nods, “Can I...” she reaches for the box.

“Sure” Carol offers a small smile, “It’s yours” 

She opens the lid and finds the pictures Letitia had kept for her. Darcy and Julia, her parents, even the polaroid of Bucky she had accidentally taken. The silver box left inside remains closed, and when Jane reaches for it and opens it, she takes a shaky breath in. It was Darcy’s jewellery box. The only thing inside was a locket Jane had gifted Darcy once many years ago with a picture of her, when Jane had told Darcy that she would have to get marry and move to another colony. They cried and hugged, and then laughed and promised each other that neither would forget about the other one when the time to part ways came. 

Jane wipes her cheek, “Did you go to Glassmere?”

“It was the first colony we evacuated” She hears Carol say, “Some people stayed behind” 

She bites her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. 

“We have people there for them, in case...”

In case Hydra decides to return. Jane shuts her eyes.

“Thank you” Jane hears herself say.

After a few seconds of silence Carol clears her throat, “I'll be leaving then” she says.

Jane turns to offer a small smile and a nod. Carol nods back and walks towards the door.

“Your friend is in 207” She says once she’s at the door, “In case you don’t want to stay alone”

Before Jane can say anything, the woman closes the door behind her.

 

* * *

 

He hums happily when the water falls on his back. Bucky wonders how do they manage to have running water if they are underground, then again the whole bunker was a lot different than a bunker was suppose to be like. Bucky knows because there was a bunker under Arcadia. In fact, it was where he lived the first few years of his life in Arcadia, it was where the workers that lived in the Barracks rest when they were allowed. He remembers the first few months but barely, there was never enough light or water, or food, and it was always too hot. He worked in the mines, though he spent more time making escape routes than doing actual work.

He takes his hand to the nape of his neck remembering more of those days, and then needs to remind himself that those days are over.

Bucky winces when he feels a sting on his temple, and only then he remembers the gash he had there. Sighing heavily, he reaches for the bar of soap, running it through his body and hair wanting to finish off his shower quickly now. He is more tired than anything anyways.

When he opens the bathroom door, he freezes when he notices the other person in the room.

“Hey, roomie”

Bucky frowns. The man offers him a grin as he lays on one of the beds, one arm nesting his head while the other one rests on his chest, his legs crossed at the ankles. 

“I’m Pietro” 

“James” 

The man hums and looks back at the ceiling. Bucky narrows his eyes and reaches for the clean clothes left for him. He had been told he would have to share the room with someone that would arrive later. He dresses as fast as he can and then sits on the bed.

“Where are you from?” The man asks, there is a thick accent in his voice, “Are you from Roseburn? Glassmere?”

Bucky sighs and accommodates on the bed, “Arcadia”

“Damn, that place is awful” Pietro says, “Depressing as fuck, too” he then looks at him and adds, "No offence"

Bucky rolls his eyes, “Non taken”

“Hey, you are the one who came with the woman, right?” The young man says, “The dead Commander’s daughter” 

Bucky remains silent for a few seconds, not sure what the man was trying to get at. He then remembers seeing him early that afternoon wearing a SHIELD uniform. When Bucky turns to him, he notices his arm is bandaged up and one a sling. 

“Yes” Bucky finally says, “The woman who shot you in the arm”

To Bucky’s surprise, Pietro lets out an amused laugh.

“Thanks to your girlfriend I’m being sent back to the base” 

There is no sarcasm in his tone, and Bucky finds that surprising – if he had been shot he would be pissed – when he looks at Pietro sees the content look on the man’s face. His frown deepens and Pietro catches him looking at him. 

He shrugs, “My man is in Maraud” he explains, “I haven’t seen him in five months, but now that I’m injured I get to go back for at least a few weeks”

“You’re welcome, then” Bucky says.

Pietro gins. 

He tries to accommodate on the small bed, freezing momentarily when it shrieks under him before he resumes his movement until he finds a comfortable enough position – his back to the young man next to him as he stares at the door – and throws the covers on top of himself. 

“You are a Legionary”

Bucky closes his eyes and purses his lips, “Was”

“I was in Arcadia for a couple of months” Pietro says, and then adds with a shrug, “doing some recon and all”

Bucky yawns.

“I heard about the Pit, Underground fights and stuff”

Bucky doesn’t ask how did he get inside Arcadia, but he imagines SHIELD has enough connections everywhere. He had an idea of what they did, and just like Hydra, SHIELD had been infiltrating in the colonies for a while now. He rubs his eyes and yawns again. He feels too tired to try to maintain a conversation he doesn’t want to have, he turns on the lamp next to the bed and accommodates on his side again. Just when Pietro stops moving and he thinks he will be able to finally sleep, the other man stands from his bed and Bucky finds himself rolling his eyes. 

“Does a bit of light bother you?”

Bucky sighs, “Not really"

Pietro is standing next to what seems to be a shut window, pressing buttons in a panel next to it. The window does open even though they are underground, but instead of giving a real view of the outside it’s a screen with a realistic image of a city, it changes to a beach, then to a sunny sky and Pietro finally leaves it in what seemed to be an underwater view. The blue light illuminates the room faintly and Bucky finds it soothing so he doesn’t complain.

The last thing on his mind it’s if Jane is finding sleeping as easy as he does.


	7. Dear Sorrow, Let Me Go

The first time Bucky wakes up it’s because someone knocks on the door. Pietro jumps from the bed and runs towards the door, when he opens he has a short discussion with someone on the other side before he closes the door again. Bucky turns on the bed, grunting at the creaking sound of protest it makes. He hears the other man chuckle, before he tells him that it would be better to put the mattresses on the floor since the wire bed seemed to be having a hard time holding his weight after all. 

When Pietro leaves, Bucky takes his advice.

When he wakes up a second time, the room is completely dark and a beeping sound can be heard all around him. At first he searches for the panels above the nightstand, to open the windows and let some sunlight in before remembering he isn’t at Zola’s tower anymore. Once he sits on the bed, the lights in the room illuminate his surroundings and the sound grows louder. 

“ _Good morning, agent Romanoff_ ” A voice greets him, “ _It is seven forty five, the day is looking to be a sunny one_ ”

Bucky practically jumps from the bed and looks around him startled. It was a woman’s voice, but nota familiar one at all.

“Hello?” 

“ _Hello_ ” 

He looks at the ceiling, where the voice seems to be coming from.

“Where-“ He winces, covering his ears as the beeping sound becomes louder, “What is that noise?”

The room goes quiet again.

“ _That was the alarm agent Maximoff set for this morning_ ”

“Who is this?” Bucky grunts.

“ _I’m the AI that partly controls the bunker_ ” 

“An AI” Bucky shuts his eyes and opens them again, “Like a robot?” 

The voice actually lets out a chuckle, “ _That would imply that I have a physical form, which I don’t_ ” she answers, “ _But I am better than a robot_ ”

“Right” He says slowly, “you’ve been around all this time miss- ma’am- si...r?” 

“ _I answer to FRIDAY_ , _and let’s just say I’m passing by_ ” The voice says, “ _Agent Pietro Maximoff had set a reminder for me to wake him up, but I guess is safe to assume he’s gone_ ” 

“Aha”

Bucky rubs his jaw. As if the place being in the middle of the desert and underground, and the man with the eyepatch had been weird enough.

“ _Do you have a name?_ ” 

“Um, yeah it’s Jam-” He clears his throat, “Bucky’s fine” 

“ _Nice meeting you, James Bucky’s Fine_ ” FRIDAY says, “ _Before I leave, is there anything I can help you with?_ ” 

He lets out a breathy chuckle.

“No, thanks” 

“ _Very well_ ” 

A few seconds pass, and the room stays in full silence. Bucky sighs heavily, finally standing from the bed and getting into the shower before someone else decides to interrupt.

He is surprised to find there aren't any aches on his body even though he had moved the mattress to the floor. The shower is a quick one, mainly because the water is freezing cold but also because he was told by Vision not to waste too much water. The man had added a joke about sharing the shower would be a good option, Bucky ignored him even though he wasn't opposed to the idea of showering with someone else. With Jane to be precise.

He turns off the shower and reaches for the towel near the sink. There was a small box with personal hygiene supplies, Bucky ignores the small scissors and gets the shaving kit. The mirror infront of him is small but it will suffice for a good shave.

"Let's make this quick" Bucky tells himself, rubbing his stubbled jaw.

He is about to start when a soft knock on the door makes him jump slightly. At least the blade wasn't near his face. With a grunt he walks outside the bathroom. 

"I'm not dressed yet" The door opens anyways, "I said I’m-" 

Jane opens his mouth but closes it quickly and then, "Sorry, I... Didn’t hear you"

She turns and reaches for the doorknob when he speaks.

"It's alright" he says nodding at the bathroom, "Just give me a few minutes" 

Jane looks at the mattress on the floor and then back at him, she looks like she wants to ask about it but she just offers a nod. Bucky waits until she sits on the bed to enter the bathroom again, taking the clothes left on the bathroom the night before. A black shirt that looks a bit too small for him – he wonders if it was suppose to be Pietro’s – and a pair of blue jeans that once he puts them on are a bit loose on the waist.

“At least they left a belt” He mutters.

He reaches for the small stool under the sink and sits. The worn out boots he’s had since Catalean are there, and as he puts them on he wonders what happened to the car they left there. Or to the people they briefly met. Bucky shakes the thought away and resumes shaving, not wanting to make Jane wait any longer. 

He is almost done when Jane knocks on the door. She opens it slowly, like she wants to peek inside without him noticing but once she realises he can see her, she opens it fully and looks at the reflection of his freshly shaved face in the mirror. 

"Looks good" she compliments.

Bucky's lip quirks, "Thanks"

Jane crosses her arms and stares at him. He runs a hand through his jaw and hair, and glances at the small scissors.

"I could trim it" She offers, "Just about this short.

When she reaches for the nape of his neck he moves her hand and gives half a step back. Jane freezes and takes her hand back, apologising quickly. Bucky rubs the back of his neck and looks at her apologetically.

_Don't touch me like that._

"I'm sorry" Jane's eyes are wide, "I-" 

"It's not that" He makes a face, wondering if that’s what she thought it was about, "you can, but-"

Jane is wearing a cardigan that she wraps tightly around herself as she waits for him to get whatever he is trying to say out. Her face softens and Bucky lets out a nervous sigh. 

"You can cut it" Bucky says finally, "as short as you like"

She tilts her head, "Okay" 

Bucky reaches for the small stool under the sink and sits infront of the mirror. He waits a few seconds, and then Jane walks behind him and puts the towel over his shoulders, hesitating for a split of second before running her fingers through his hair.

"When I was taken to the Barracks they branded me" Bucky says as she reaches for the scissors, "Instead of getting an ID card they burned a bar code of some kind" 

Her fingers feel good running through his hair, and he manages to relax under her touch.

"And when I joined the Legionaries I tried to get rid of it" 

He hadn’t been able to actually looked at it, but he remembers Coulson telling him it looked as awful as the other scars in his body. Bucky watches Jane’s expression in the mirror. As always it’s curious, warm brown eyes examining the scar closely like it’s fascinating instead of repulsive. 

“How didn’t I see this before” Jane whispers, more to herself, she bites her bottom lip and then, “Did I say that out loud?”

Bucky chuckles, “Yeah” 

Jane's breath is warm and so are her hands, still his skin bristles and he blames the cold air entering through the door, instead of the nerves he is feeling for some reason. Bucky rubs his hands on his jeans. He didn't want Jane to think he didn't like her touching him since he did – a lot – in fact he craves for it, even the tip of her fingers on the top of his spine made him feel certain kind of way and having her skin close to his own ignited something deep within him.

The sound of the scissors snipping what seems to be the last strand of hair pulls him out of his thoughts. 

“There” Jane gives a step back to look at him, “How much do you like it?” 

Bucky looks at himself in the mirror. He looks - and feels - well rested, face clean shaven and now his hair is trimmed. Somehow different than he expected, but it's good.

Jane clears her throat, "So?"

“Even if the back looked bad, I wouldn’t be able to tell” he looks at her reflection in the mirror, “So I guess it’s alright”

Jane chuckles and his lips are pulled by a smile. Her hands are on his shoulders and he covers one of them with his left hand, she leans in and when he looks up at her, kisses his forehead. Bucky closes his eyes enjoying the proximity. 

“Nothing can make me change my mind about what I feel for you” Jane whispers against his skin, “Specially not scars I haven’t seen”

When he opens his eyes Jane is standing infront of him, leaning against the sink. He reaches for her and a comforting smile adorns her face as he puts his hands on her hips to pull her towards him. She towers over him and Bucky thinks how small he feels whenever she speaks to him that way.

“What’s in that head of yours” Jane says quietly, she finds her way to his lap, sitting comfortably in it, “Sometimes when I speak you stay quiet” she continues, her fingers playing with the hairs on the nape of his neck, “I think to myself ‘I said something wrong’ but your eyes have this... Look”

He hopes is the same loving look Jane gives him whenever there is silence between them. A comfortable silence, unlike the one that follows, this one is expectant and he knows Jane wants an answer.

“You...” Bucky licks his lips, pulling her closer to him, “Make me feel overwhelmed... Sometimes” he admits quietly. 

A smile pulls from her lips before she leans in.

“That’s a good thing, right?”

Bucky’s lips quirk upwards and he shrugs, before Jane closes the distance between them. The kiss is sweet, short, and his hands roam from her hips to her back. The cardigan she is wearing gets in the way of his hands and when he pulls from it slightly to leave a kiss on her shoulder he sees her arm is wrapped in a bandage that wasn’t there the night before. 

He pulls back, “What happened?”

Jane shrugs, covering her arm again, “Vision said that it needed some antiseptic”

Bucky frowns, “It was fine yesterday”

“It itched the whole night” Jane kisses him between his furrowed eyebrows, “It’s fine now, Bucky, don’t worry” 

After a few seconds, Bucky finally nods. Jane shifts on his lap and makes him look at her.

“I thought once we had a good night of sleep you would finally stop brooding” She cocks an eyebrow, rubbing his jaw. 

He sighs and nods softly, “Sorry” 

Jane’s lips are pulled by a small smile. Bucky circles her waist and pulls her closer, kissing her deeper this time. Her hands are on his shoulders, and only then he remembers he isn’t wearing anything that could get on her way if she wanted to feel him. And she seemed to really want to. When he makes a content sound inside the kiss and pulls her impossibly closer to him to encourage her, Jane opens her mouth and deepens the kiss. 

And then there is another knock on the door.

Bucky pulls back and sighs heavily.

“I’ll go get it” Jane says. 

He nods and watches as she leaves the bathroom. Making a mental note to ask Vision if Jane is really alright he finishes dressing, trying to catch a glimpse of how the haircut really looks in vain. When he gets out of the bathroom Jane is talking to a woman, probably another agent that he hadn’t seen before, and when she sees him she goes quiet and Jane turns to him.

"I see you didn't have any problem finding his room" the woman tells Jane, “See you around” she winks at Bucky and walks away.

“That’s Agent Carol Danvers” Jane says, Bucky hums, “Breakfast is almost over” she adds, “we should hurry” 

Bucky throws one last glance at the bedroom, before he lets himself being drag away by Jane.

 

* * *

 

There is still a lot of people left, but he doesn't see as many as before, much less children. They follow a small group towards a cafeteria, where there is a line of people waiting for their food. The murmurs of the crowd bounce off the walls, and since it’s a smaller place than he thought it seems louder than it should.

"Where do you think they get so much food for everyone?" 

Jane seemed to be wondering the same, “I saw a lot of deliver trucks, perhaps they were all carrying food" she says, "SHIELD seems to be very organised" 

Bucky is relieved at that. The fact, that SHIELD seems big enough and strong enough not only to be the ones to take Hydra but to take care of the people under them. Jane calls his name and when he looks at her she is holding out a tray for him and a frown appears between her eyebrows. He takes it a smiles softly trying to wave it off. Jane doesn't say anything else and he sighs walking along the line.

Breakfast is simple - Fruit, Eggs, toast, a small bowl of oatmeal and apple juice - everything in small portions but big enough to satisfy. At least a small person, Bucky thinks afterwards. They find a table and Jane sits across from him, and begins to dig into her food almost immediately. When she realises she’s being stared at by him, she blushes slightly.

“Sorry” She says, mouth half-full, “I didn’t realise how hungry I was”

Bucky reaches for her and wipes the corner of her mouth with his thumb, Jane thinks she’s blushing but doesn’t give much thought to it once his lips quirk upwards. She does stare when he licks his thumb and goes back to eat. They eat in silence after that, and his bowl of oatmeal is almost empty when Jane speaks again.

“I didn’t ask how you slept”

“Good” Bucky answers, he takes a bite of his apple, “You?” 

Jane nods, “It was a bit cold but... I slept good” she licks her lips, and then, “I overheard some people talk about ‘the Captain’” she makes airquotes.

Bucky chuckles, “A man with an eyepatch, someone who call themselves the Captain...”

Jane hums, “What do you think SHIELD stands for?" she asks, "I bet is something like Ship..." she trails off and Bucky suppresses a smile, "Let's see you come up with something, then"

“Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division”

Jane and Bucky look up to find a woman standing beside them. She is wearing the same blue uniform with the Eagle symbol on her chest, and is looking at them with an amused look on her face.

“The founder had a thing for acronyms” She adds with a hint of a smile, “I’m Maria Hill” she offers her hand.

“Jane Foster” Jane takes her hand, she nods at Bucky, "This is-" 

“The Winter Soldier”

Jane doesn't miss the way he seems to wince at the name and if Maria didn't either she ignores it. The woman smiles at him as Bucky shakes her hand and she proceeds to tell him she had been in Arcadia for his last fight, Jane remembers that was the night they met.

"Anyways," Maria says, "I just wanted to meet you two" she says “I will be driving you tomorrow to our final destination”

Bucky perks up, “Maraud?” 

Maria Hills ignores him, “Do you have the chip?” Jane nods, “Here or in your room?” Jane takes a hand to her pocket, “Hold onto it until then” 

“Of course” 

“I am also here to ask for you two to help” Maria continues, “A lot of people left early this morning and we are short on... volunteers”

“Oh” Jane and Bucky exchange looks, "We can help if necessary”

Maria smiles, "I was hoping you'd say that"

 

* * *

 

They are sent to the surface when they finish breakfast. Compared to the quiet underground, the outside seems a bit chaotic, people walking back and forth, trucks being loaded and tents being dismantled. Wanda finds them minutes after they wander and asks Bucky if he can steal Jane from him for the rest of the day, Jane nods before he can say anything and Wanda waves at him goodbye. Jane glances back at him one last time before he disappears in the sea of people loading up the trucks.

Wanda continues talking next to her, about some tent that needs to be prepared for tonight, and Jane pretends she paid full attention to her when she asks if she slept well the night before. 

"I- yeah, I slept alright" 

Wanda smiles, "I bet it felt great to cozy up to your beloved in a bed after so long traveling" 

A blush creeps to her cheeks, "Oh" she shakes her head, "I slept alone"

"Mm" Wanda hums, she takes a list from a woman who passes them, "I imagine you needed some time to grief" 

It catches Jane off guard. It feels like something personal to discuss, yet Wanda asks it as if she wants to know if Jane enjoyed her breakfast. Darcy's necklace – the one she had found in the box las night – feels suddenly heavy inside her pocket, she had been meaning to wear it but for some reason it felt wrong, it didn’t belong to her, so she had put the locket with the chip around her neck and hid Darcy's gold one in her pocket.

“Losing people is hard” Wanda continues, and she is looking at Jane with sympathy, “I know times like this leave little room to grieve, but we can talk about it” 

Jane thinks back of the time she broke in the car, and then when she cried in Bucky's arms, she had cried the night before too but somehow she didn't feel she have had time to grieve Darcy's death properly. Perhaps because she didn't need to cry, or talk about her, she needed to finish what her sister had started. The thought of not being able to made her... Scared. Even more so than sad. 

A warm hand squeezes hers. 

"I apologize if I overstep" 

Jane shakes her head softly, "It's alright" she says, “I just...”

No one ever told her that grief felt so like fear. And, after all she has been thought for the past few months, Jane still hates that she is scared.

“I’m fine” Jane says instead. 

She is thankful when Wanda nods and gives her the list she's carrying, "Let's get to work, yes?" 

Jane reads through it quickly.

“Has someone ever told you that you might need glasses?” The other woman asks and Jane finds herself chuckling.

They enter a tent filled with boxes and Wanda gives her an inventory of medication that arrived that morning, they must make kits with essentials so they are sent to the colonies for the people who hasn't being able to leave, and for the amount of medicine that they have, Jane asumes there are a lot and that they won't be able to leave any time soon. Jane remembers the elders in Glassmere, winter was coming and they will spend theirs there, she sees the cough medicine and heating pads boxes in the corner. 

"What's in the other tents?" Jane asks about an hour later.

Wanda chuckles, "We still have a long way to go here" she nods at the still filled boxes and Jane chuckles too, "We have food being rationed, clothes being sorted - raincoats are going to Catalean and wintercoats to Glassmere - tent eight has candles, lanterns, and..." She trails off. 

Jane waits for her to continue, half focused on her task, but Wanda stays silent for a few more seconds. She lifts her gaze to look at the woman, and then looks at the group of men walking from one tent to another and then to the trucks arriving and leaving. Only then Jane realises they are packing up the entire camp. 

"Is this bunker being abandoned" 

Wanda, who had been counting under her breath, finally looks at her and blinks a few times before nodding. 

"Shield moves around a lot," the woman explains, "Like that they don't get caught" 

Jane nods softly, looking at the bus that leaves after being full of provisions. 

"They have guns" 

"What?" 

"Guns" Wanda repeats, "The trucks going back to the colonies have guns"

"Where did they get them?" Jane asks, "I thought..."

Loki had guns, plenty of them. Wanda then tells her that Cinders had been manufacturing guns for years now, unbeknownst to other colonies – with the exception of Arcadia – Shield stole a whole cargo of them once while they were being transported from Cinders to Arcadia. 

"Why are they taking them to the empty colonies?" Jane asks.

"To protect them"

"Is Arcadia going to attack the empty colonies? Is Cinders?" 

Wanda frowns, "They already have" she reminds her, "Shield wants to protect what's left" she says, "So when this is over there are places for people to go back to" 

Jane understands but still she wonders if there will be even a place or just ash and whatever it is that bullets leave behind.

"You two were in Catalean?"

"Yeah" Jane says, "Bucky is from there"

Wanda grins, "Did you see the ocean? Did you swim in it?" 

She nods, "I loved it" Wanda smiles, "I would like to go back" Jane then adds thoughtfully, "I think Bucky would too" 

When she looks at Wanda, the woman is looking at her with a curious expression. 

"You love him very much, yes?"

"I..." Jane smiles, "I do" 

"And what does he think about that?"

"What do you mea-" Only then she realises she hasn't told him, "Oh" 

Wanda tilts her head, "What?" 

Jane shakes her head, "Nothing" 

The woman chuckles, "You will find the right time to tell him"

She nods. Wanda tells her they must hurry and Jane tries to focus again but her mind drifts to Bucky, and she thinks about everytime she had the chance to tell him. She then realises that Bucky hasn't say it either.

 

* * *

 

Bucky and a few other had been sent to another tent once he finished loading a truck with canned food and water. This one has about twenty crates containing silver cases, and he counts under his breath as he lifts the seventh crate. Minutes ago he had asked what was inside the boxes but no one seemed to know or to want to answer. By the ninth one he feels annoyed, remembering he use to be overworked like that back in the Barracks, and after so long without using his body that way he was starting to feel an ache. The heat of the sun wasn't so asphyxiating since the wind was cold whenever it blew in his direction, still, his back was sweating some, shirt sticking to his back like his hair to the nape of his neck, his jeans too dusty and shoes already dirty. He felt kind of gross, and he chuckles mentally thinking how must Jane be doing under what she definitely considers scorching heat. He glances around him searching for her to no avail, but he does see a familiar bus finishing parking a few feet from him. The Ravangers.

"Hey" He turns to find a tall woman looking at him, "Barnes, right?"

Bucky nods. 

"I'm Gamora" the woman offers her hand. 

He looks at it and wipes his left hand on his jeans before shaking it. Gamora offers a small smile and he scowls slightly when she doesn't let go a few seconds later. 

"May spoke a lot about you" She finally lets his hand go and crosses her arms, "You are taller than I imagined" 

He cocks an eyebrow, "That so" Gamora hums, "Have you heard about them?"

May, Coulson, Daisy... He hasn't stopped thinking about them since they left Cinders. They were the closest thing to family he ever had and never had the chance to tell them. 

Gamora finally smiles, "They are holding the fort" she says, "Daisy though..."

He takes a breath in, "Is she-"

"She left Arcadia" The woman tells him, "By now she must be in Maraud" 

Bucky feels relieve wash over him, followed by the need to tell Jane about it.

"Let me help" Gamora take one of the crates from the floor and into the truck he was loading.

He does the same, "How are things in Arcadia?" 

"Messy" The woman answers, and Bucky is impressed at the way she picks up the heavy crates, "They gates from the Slums to the HighGrounds were tear down, Legionaries are refusing to fight therefore being punished, the Pit is a massive common grave..." Bucky swallows tightly, a feeling guilt settling in his gut, "But people are also rising their voices" 

Gamora tells him there are protestors on the streets. People from the HighGrounds are housing people from the Slums, they hide them from Pierce's men, protect the ones left without homes. Coulson and May are safe in an underground location with plenty of supporters of what they have done for so long.

"Aleta says that times like these always bring out the worse of people, but also the good, the best even"

"Is Shield helping them?"

Gamora nods, "These are going there" She takes the crate from his hands, "Guns, ammo, bullet proof jackets, even some grenades"

Bucky's eyes go wide, "These are weapons?"

"Yup" she chuckles, "How else can you win a war?"

"War?"

Gamora scowls at him and then she rolls her eyes almost annoyed, "Revolution, whatever" she says, "And we are going to win" she winks.

Bucky nods and then notices there are no more crates. 

"Seems that you are done here" Gamora says, "just in time for lunch" 

A group are gathering in a further tent, where a smell of roast is coming from. His stomach growls almost embarrassingly and Gamora's too. 

"We've been on the road for over twelve hours with little food" She explains.

Bucky nods.

They start walking towards the tent when he hears his name being called. Before he can turn Jane's body clashes into his own and his hands hover over her awkwardly, Gamora cocks an eyebrow and looks at Jane. 

"I'm all sweaty" he says apologetically.

"I don't mind" Jane moves a sweaty strand of hair from his foreheard. 

Gamora clears her throat and Jane turns, "I'm Gamora" 

"Jane" she shakes her hand, "Peter was telling me about you"

Gamora and Bucky look up to see a man waving at them a bit too enthusiastically. Jane chuckles and the other woman smiles fondly.

"We brought some booze for tonight" Gamora says then, "I'll save you guys a bottle of whatever you want"

Bucky had forgotten about the solstice celebration Wanda had mentioned. Gamora waves them goodbye and joins her partner, when she is far enough Jane turns to Bucky and smiles softly at him.

"Let's get something to eat, Buck"

 

* * *

 

When she opens her eyes all the lights in the room are off. There is a faint glow coming from the windows and Jane is confused as to what it might be since they are several meters underground. She closes her eyes again and rubs them until she sees stars, remembering how tired she had been after arriving to her room again. After their lunch Wanda had told them that they were still needed, Bucky had been practically dragged away by Peter Quill, who introduced himself as ‘ Starlord’, a member of the Ravangers – and boyfriend of Gamora, he made sure Jane and everyone they crossed paths with knew that – and who took Bucky to unload the ‘party favours for that night’ from the bus. 

The last time she had asked what time it was it had been three in the afternoon. Wanda sent her to her room and suggested a shower and a nap, Jane skip the shower and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

A shiver runs down her spine and she reaches for the blankets still underneath her, “why is it so damn cold in here?” she grunts. 

“ _I could rise the temperature a few degrees_ ”

Jane sits on the bed with one quick movement, “Hello?”

“ _I apologise for scaring you_ ” a female voice says, “ _Before you ask, I am not physically in the room_ ” 

“What? Where...” Jane licks her lips looking at the ceiling, “Is there a speaker in the ceiling?”

“ _Sure_ ” The voice sounds almost amused, “ _I have risen the temperature three degrees_ ”

“Thank... You” Jane says slowly, “What time is it?” she shakes her head, “And who are you, exactly?” 

“ _It is six and thirty two minutes p. m._ ” the voice informs, “ _I am Friday, and AI integrated into the bunker’s security system_ ” 

Jane had heard of artificial intelligence, she had read books about it at some point in her life. She swallows as her mind travels to George Orwell books and old sci-fi movies instead of the many scientific journals and books on Old World technology she had read in her father’s library. 

“ _You seem distress, miss_ ” Friday says.

“Jane” she says, “My name is Jane Foster” Jane sits on the bed, “Are you... A member of Shield?” 

Friday, to Jane’s surprise, chuckles, “ _You could say_ ” it answers, “ _I was created by the founder_ ” 

Jane’s eyes go wide, “That would mean you are... hundreds of years old” 

“It would, yes”

So many questions flood Jane’s mind, all the knowledge Friday must have on the Old World and the new one. But Jane can only think about asking one thing.

“Do you know what soda is?”

Half an hour later someone knocks on her door. Jane had been asking Friday questions about the Old World, trivial things like how they use to travel to other continents and then questions about those continents, about music – she got particularly excited when Friday played a few songs to her – how people lived their lives, movies, historical events she had heard of but never being fully told about. When there is a second knock, Jane jumps from the bed and practically runs towards the door.

“Bucky!” Jane grabs his hand and pulls him inside the room.

“Hey, we-“

“Friday, this is Bucky”

“ _Hello, Bucky’s Fine_ ” Friday says, sounding amused.

Jane tilts her head, “You know each other?” 

“Friday” Bucky looks at Jane, “You do know she’s a robot, right?” 

“Not a robot” Both Friday and Jane says.

Jane chuckles, “She’s an AI, way smarter than a robot” she says, “and way cooler”

“ _I’m flattered_ ”

Bucky cocks an eyebrow and Jane grins widely.

“She knows all these things about the Old Word, she says that she has stored thousands of songs and movies and even television shows-”

“Stored where?” Bucky asks.

Jane opens and closes her mouth a few times before realising she doesn’t know.

“ _I believe Bucky’s Fine had something he wanted to say_ ”

“Right” Bucky frowns slightly, he turns to Jane “Vision says that we can join him and Wanda for dinner at seven” 

“A double date sounds fun” Friday quips.

Jane dimples at the ceiling, thing she should find odd – and, by the way he looks at her, he does too – but she doesn’t mind. Friday had explained that there are cameras in the room that allow her to ‘see’ them. Bucky suppresses a smile and Jane notices he’s wearing different clothes than when she saw him, also that he smells really good.

“ _I must go_ ” Friday informs, “ _Agent Hill needs my assistance_ ” 

After a few second of silence Jane turns to Bucky.

“I’m going to shower” she announces, “You- um- you can wait here” 

She wanted to tell that she didn’t want him to leave. It was in those moments Jane had by herself that she felt like something dark was swallowing her, it was not like that when Bucky was near. And she knew that wasn’t good, it was as if she had forgotten how to be alone and after so many lost she should probably get use to it. 

When Bucky nods Jane sighs relieved, before she enters the bathroom leaving him alone in the room.

Seconds later he notices the box underneath the bed, right next to the pair of clean shoes that maybe Wanda had left for Jane. He makes sure she still has the shower on and reaches for it, sitting on the edge of the bed with it on his lap. It's the same box Letitia had given Jane when they left Glassmere, the same one they had left in the trunk of the car in Catalean. He opens the lid wondering if Letitia has something to do with Shield, he chuckles at that but he had been surprised more than once by the organisation already and he wouldn't put that pass them. Hiring old people as moles in the colonies that is. Bucky thinks back at Luke, who wasn't old but clearly had something to do with Shield, also Claire and maybe even the woman he met on the beach, Karen. It was as if Shield had been following them – taking care of them – for longer than they thought. 

He sees the pictures of Jane family and then one of himself that he now remembers Jane took accidentally. Maybe not so accidentally, she probably wanted something of him back when she thought they would separate in Catalean. Who would have thought she would have all of him eventually. Well, he did, he thinks, he somehow knew Jane would not walk away from his life once she was in it.

"Nothing like I expected but everything I wanted" 

"What was that?"

Bucky turns to find Jane in the bathroom entrance. The woman is still wet from her shower and has a towel wrapped around herself. She tilts her head in a questioning matter when he doesn't answer.

"Nothing, I-" he licks his lips, closing the lid of the box, "I found the..." 

Jane frowns and glances behind him, "Oh" she shrugs, "It kinda found its way back to me" 

Bucky nods. Jane moves and he stands from the bed, eyeing her quickly before finding a spot in the wall infront of him to stare at instead.

"Wanda told me the celebration tonight is a Christmas celebration" Jane says, “You’ve heard of it?”

Bucky hums. He heard Coulson talk about it once, the older man gifted Bucky one of his favorite books called ‘A Christmas Carol’, which turned out to be nothing like he expected – it had a dislikable character and ghosts - but he did enjoyed it very much.

"I thought it would be same as Solstice" She continues, "But it isn’t"

He glances over his shoulder. Jane is sitting on the bed with the towel around her waist, it slips a little and he can see she only has he underwear on, her skin looks like porcelain and he feels like he forgot how soft it is despite having touch her many times. When Jane clutches the towel and Bucky turns, considering telling he can leave if she wants. 

"How exactly do they celebrate Christmas?" He asks instead, turning when Jane looks at him.

"Probably similarly, with music and food" she answers seconds later, "Starlord said they had plenty of food and ‘other bomb ass surprises’ for tonight" she chuckles and he can almost hear air quotes in her tone.

Bucky chuckles lowly and turns to her. Jane is dressed now - a crochet top and a long flowy skirt with a slit on the side - and Bucky is slightly stunned for a few seconds, but before he can get a compliment out Jane speaks.

"I think the zipper is brok-" She pauses, "why isn't it..."

“Need help with that?” 

Jane looks up at him and nods. He walks towards her and his fingers twitch as he reaches for her hips, angling her so he can take a look at the side zipper of the skirt. 

“Is it broken?”

“It’s stuck”

Bucky’s hands are warm. And Jane remembers how cold she had been when she woke up, maybe that night they could sleep together, she thinks, and blushes at the thought of his warm body next to hers. Jane looks at Bucky and sees him pull from a threat that is preventing the zipper from functioning, and when the man leans in to bite the threat with his teeth, Jane finds her toes curling agains the cold floor.

“There” He says, zipping her up without struggle, he runs his hands up her hips before they are gone, “You look good”

Jane’s lips quirk upwards, “Thanks”

She puts a strand of her hair behind her ear and reaches under the bed with for the leather sandals Wanda had chosen for her. When she stands, Bucky reaches behind her and takes the lockets from the nigthstand. Jane had left it there next to Darcy's gold locket, and they are tangled now.

“This is pretty” He mentions as he begins to untangle them, “Where did you get it?“

“The box” Jane says, sitting on the bed, “It was Darcy’s” 

Bucky opens it and stares at the tiny picture of Jane inside. He glances at the woman infront of him and then back at his palm, he didn’t think pictures did enough justice to her.

“Can you keep this one?” She asks about the other necklace, “I don’t have pockets in this and I don’t want to leave it here” 

Bucky nods and gives Jane the gold one, pocketing the one with the information at the same time. Jane stares at the locket in her her hand with a thoughtful expression in her face, eyes cast down and a wrinkle between her brows. Bucky sits next to her. 

“I don’t know if I had grieved for them enough” She confesses quietly, “and I don’t know if that is bad or good” her teeth are gnawing her bottom lip.

When she looks at him her eyes are glassy, and Bucky feels a pang bloom in his chest. Jane, who is younger than him but wise beyond her years and even wiser that he has even been or felt, looks so fragile. He knew nothing he or anyone else can say will calm Jane’s sorrow. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, there was no immediate cure for it. He takes a few seconds to chose his words, telling her what she needs to hear and not just what she wants to.

“No one can tell you how you should feel” Bucky says, “Your pain and grief, that sorrow... It belongs to you” Jane fits her head under his chin, “only time takes it away”

He reaches for her hand and holds it, caressing her palm with his thumb. In that moment Jane thinks that nothing in this world compared to the comfort and security of having him just hold her hand. And she never wants to let go.

"I will be here, Jane" Bucky says, "tomorrow, in a week, in a month" His voice is sure and quiet, like it's a secret and a promise, "And in a year, next solstice or christmas-"

"My birthday" Jane adds and Bucky smiles softly and nods

"And your birthday" he says, "I will be here"

Bucky hopes the thought eases the heaviness in her chest. She only needs time, and he will give it to her. A small voice in his head tells him she might also need space even though she hasn't ask for it, and even though it scares him having to let her go he would too if that what she wanted. He swallows tightly.

Cheery voices coming from the hall remind them that there is a celebration going on in the surface. He considers asking Jane if she would rather stay but she is on her feet seconds later.

"Let's go"

Bucky looks at her and Jane offers her hand. He takes it, thinking how he never really wants to let go. 


End file.
